Nepenthe
by arnediadglndath
Summary: Finding yourself is hard. Falling in love while you're finding yourself is harder. Falling in love while finding yourself while in SOLDIER is probably the definition of Hell. Slash. Sephesis. Possible Mpreg (undecided). Slow burn. Info inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Before you Begin:** Some notes here, before we get too deeply into this. This is probably going to be a little different from some of the FFVII fics you are used to reading. For one, I'm vested in keeping the characters their actual ages and not turning them into teenagers. Fanlore majority places Sephiroth around 27-28 years of age by the time of FFVII, and Genesis is emphasized to be at ileast/i a year or two older, making him 29-30. We'll stick with 29. So, for posterity, Seph: 28 Genesis: 29 Angeal: 30 Zack:16 Cloud:14 Aerith: 15.

I am going to try to remain canon-compliant up to a point. I will have to embellish some points in order to remain true to the goal of this fic, which is to ultimately get Genesis and Sephiroth together, and to provide a window into their lives beyond the discovery of their origins and how they deal with it. There will also be no Zack/Angeal, in this fic. I know some of you are big fans of them, but in the case of this fic the age difference is far too massive, and I do want to have some heterosexual couples instead of making everyone completely same-sex oriented.

 _This is a slash fic. This is an M rated fic. It will also be up on A03 in case you like their format better._

* * *

Most people who knew Genesis Rhapsodos were under the impression he was arrogant, flighty, and somewhat spoiled.

He was, after all, the son of a very wealthy landlord in Banora; one whose name and renown had practically guaranteed him a place in SOLDIER the minute he queued in line to apply. Shikro Rhapsodos was famous for owning the largest apple orchards in all of Mideel, particularly that of the Banora White; whose juice was famous from Running Chocobo to Costa del Sol. The general populace was prone to forget that it was Genesis who had created the original recipe as a child, preferring to credit the task to someone with more fortune and tenuity behind his name. It was, in some ways, a blessing. Genesis had gone into SOLDIER expecting to be forever remembered as the sorry red-headed idiot who invented apple juice. When that wasn't the case, he'd been relieved.

Circinae Rhapsodos was famous for her beauty...something which she possessed in great abundance. Genesis liked to think that he'd gotten his looks from her, but he knew it was fairly unlikely. His mother was soft, curvaceous with an ovular face and amethyst colored eyes that sparkled out from her halo of endless blonde curls. Her hands were tiny and delicate, prone to flutter like butterfly's wings in the throes of death when distressed...pale as the inside of a pearl. She was never overly affectionate...merely indulgent and somewhat simpering. Adversely, his father had gone grey long before Genesis could remember what his hair color was, and his mother often lamented the fact they had no family photos. Shikro was stern and severe, with features like a bird of prey that Genesis often despairingly compared to his own. He was tall and forbidding with a coldness to him that only Sephiroth could rival.

It was this, more than anything, that had made Genesis outgoing, loud, and flamboyant. Sometimes it seemed like he was always in trouble at school; whether for attending in red leathers and not the standard uniform, or for smoking on the roof of the gym and flicking the ashes onto the superintendent...it didn't matter. As long as he wasn't exuding an unemotional shell of human existence, he didn't care how many lashes he got once he got home. It was worth it...to know he could ifeel/i something among so many people who didn't seem to feel anything. The private educational facility he'd attended was filled to the brim with posh, tight-laced children with what seemed like no other goal than to make more money than their predecessors. The minute a six-year old girl turned to him and started discussing stocks, he'd screamed and run out of the classroom.

Eventually, his behavior got him placed in public school...and he was thrilled. He was able to attend classes with Angeal; his best friend since childhood, and he was certainly allowed to talk about being a rockstar if it suited him. In truth, he'd never really fit in with anyone else. He had 'friends'...sure. The kind whose contacts you always accidentally 'lost' the minute you graduated...but he was still comfortable. He and Angeal always excelled far beyond their classmates in sports, to the point where it made their peers uncomfortable. And despite his reputation for being a 'slacker' and a 'neer-do-well' at school, Genesis always got above-average grades...to the point where he was constantly being observed for cheating. Being good-looking didn't help them either. Angeal had a plethora of adoring would-be girlfriends who he never went out with for fear of the entirety of the male populace hating him. Genesis was simply itoo beautiful/i to warrant any kind of female attention, despite the fact that they giggled and blushed whenever they talked to him. No girl wanted to ask out a man who was prettier than they were. And, sure, he might have plucked his eyebrows in seventh grade… _might_... But that didn't warrant any speculation that he was 'bent' or-in the case of many of his peers' opinions-' _just plain screwy'_.

And yes, Genesis had no problem getting into or onto a soft (ish) surface with either gender, but he wasn't a _slut_. Sleeping with one person a month didn't make you a whore, it just made you healthy. SOLDIERS were required to be discreet about their dalliances, especially ones who garnered as much media attention as Genesis. _Discreet_ didn't mean _celibate_ , however, and he took full advantage of that fact. Someone who'd never gotten laid in high school should at least get some action for being Shinra's number two (soon to be number one, fuck you, Sephiroth) poster boy.

There was a rustle from the other side of the conference room and Genesis narrowed his eyes, tapping a gloved finger on the marble table before writing it up as a potential bad habit. He couldn't _see_ much of Sephiroth from beyond the newspaper-and who the hell read _paper_ newspaper anymore?-held in front of his face, but if he could; he was sure that the visage behind it would be that of cold...celibate indifference. Rumor had it that Sephiroth had never slept with anyone.

 _"He's married to his job"_ Angeal had said dryly when Genesis commented on the overall unnaturalness of it. _"Besides, even if he **is** seeing someone, or several someones, is it really any of your business?"_

And no, it wasn't. Genesis huffed and toyed with his earring, wondering why on earth he'd bothered to show up to a meeting an hour early.

 _"Because you can't stand the thought of being later than the Moonlit Prince of Shinra"_ a nasty voice whispered in the back of his brain.

Miraculously, Sephiroth had already been sitting in the conference room when he arrived...though at this point, he supposed he really shouldn't be surprised. As a Third, he'd been rather convinced that the General lived in a hidden room off of Debriefing. This was-obviously-not true...but it was still strange to wander into an empty gathering room only to find Sephiroth sitting there looking for all the world like he'd like to become some type of furniture fixture. And-of course-the emerald green stare he leveled Genesis' way indicated his intense disapproval of a fellow SOLDIER standing about with their mouth hanging open. There was a rumor circulating in the lower plate that Sephiroth had once stripped an entire house of a fresh coat of paint by glaring at it for longer than thirty seconds. Genesis privately thought this humor was hilarious.

Then, of course, you had _Angeal_ who would have been in the room around the same time as Genesis if it weren't for his mentorship of Zack Fair. Genesis never took trainees...he didn't have the patience for it and people were generally too intimidated by him to come up and ask. Sephiroth was reputed to have taken time out of his schedule to assist promising recruits in the past, and he'd icertainly/i spent a large bulk of time hounding Genesis about perfecting his skills...but he had evidently never chosen a specific trainee either. When asked about it, he'd stated that it was _'unprofessional for someone of his status to play favorites'_. Genesis took it as: _'The entire world thinks I'm some huge, silver pie and they all want a piece of me, the fact that I can say no to an apprentice is frankly relieving and I have no intention of doing otherwise.'_ And that was that.

Angeal had made it to First before Genesis, but that was only because he had a copy of SOLDIER's rules and regulations in his back pocket. Being a SOLDIER was a point of pride for the older man, and Genesis was always careful not to push him too hard when it came to teasing him for his stringent rule-following. He himself had probably broken about fifty rules within the first few months, but he had his name to back him up and he was, frankly, extremely good. That wasn't to say Angeal wasn't good, but Angeal was more to-the-letter when it came to footwork...and he was built like a tank. Genesis liked to improvise, and it caught the attention of his drill sergeants and the people above them. When Angeal had risen through the ranks more quickly than he had, he'd been hurt at first, but his friend had sat him down one late night when he'd drank probably more alcohol than he should have and set him straight.

 _"You're not a bad soldier, Gen. They're grooming you. If you followed directive you wouldn't be in this position. The higher-ups want you as a First as soon as possible, but your superiors know you won't be an asset unless you learn to heel somewhat...otherwise you're just a loose cannon with the potential to destroy the company."_

So...he learned to ' _heel_ ' as Angeal called it...and within another six months he'd been promoted to First.

There was additional shuffling in the corner of his peripheral vision, and Genesis watched as Sephiroth neatly folded his newspaper and turned to look expectantly at the door behind them.

"Anything interesting?" Genesis commented blithely.

Green eyes flickered to look at him before returning their attention to the entrance.

"Nothing of note" was the smooth, impersonal reply.

Biting down a sharp retort, the red-headed SOLDIER leaned back in his chair and listened as voices on the other side of the door became clearer.

Making 'nice' with Sephiroth was kind of like plunging your face into a container of dry ice on a daily to bi-daily basis. The man was unresponsive, calculated, and brooding...though Genesis wasn't entirely sure he could help it. He knew little to nothing about his past, though he and Angeal had both attempted to draw him into conversations involving their childhood together. In retrospect...it didn't seem like that man had had a childhood at all. The toys and gadgets both of them had been privy to in their youth might as well have been alien objects from outer space to Sephiroth. If he hadn't been so dead set on being 'frenemies' with the man, he might have felt sorry for him.

Genesis blinked and watched with a frown as Sephiroth abruptly stood at attention; lapels perfectly straight...hair flowing in a singular waterfall down his back...you'd never have known he was sitting. It was like trying to keep up with a freight train who didn't want anyone to ride it, he reflected grimly, scrambling to echo the General's actions as the door swung open. Over the years, he'd _tried_ to make friends...he really had. But Sephiroth seemed to rebuff any and every attempt to know anyone better than to call them a 'colleague.' Rivalry was the only closeness Genesis had with the man...and he'd take what he could get, despite Angeal's insistence it was unhealthy and obsessive.

"Good to see you both here so early."

The thinly veiled sarcasm in the Director's voice was a commonplace occurrence nowadays. It was hardly a secret that General Sephiroth and Genesis Rhapsodos fought over Shinra's…affections...like buzzards over dead meat. Though, to be fair, Genesis was heading most of the recon effort and Sephiroth was just being himself...if you could call being a _brick wall_ 'yourself'. Genesis blew an errant strand of scarlet hair away from his face and did his best not to scowl too loudly.

Lazard sat down at the head of the table and was quickly flanked by Tseng and another Turk whose name escaped Genesis for the moment. Reeve was the second relevant person in line, and he took a chair next to the chair next to Sephiroth. He was surprised to not see Scarlet, but he supposed she was rather swamped in the Weapons Department, especially considering the whispers of an upcoming war with Wutai. Heidegger wandered in five minutes later, accompanied by Angeal, who was looking decidedly resigned. Genesis spared his friend a nod as he sat down next to him, but they otherwise did not exchange any pleasantries. Other than the immediate queque of important persons, no one else of note made an entrance and the conference room door was shut firmly.

"Let's begin, shall we?" Lazard continued, motioning to Tseng, who procured a briefcase from his hand and handed it to the Director. There was a quiet hiss followed by a distinct _***'click'***_ as the latch was disengaged, and then the man was handing sheafs of paper down to the table. "As you can see, we have a crime issue in Sectors 6 and 7."

"That's not so unusual" Genesis said dryly. "And even so, that's a police matter, not a SOLDIER matter."

"And it would continue to be a police matter unless I thought it was absolutely paramount that SOLDIER be involved" Heidegger countered irritably.

"Yes, thank you, Rhapsodos, Heidegger" was the dry reply. Lazard pushed his glasses up and exhaled in a long-suffering, _I've-done-this-fifty-times-today_ way. "The issue isn't _crime_ itself, it's the nature of the crime. We're witnessing three child abductions today, four last week, and three the week before...all in the same area-"

"-Where are the parents of these children?" Angeal interrupted sharply. "Surely you can't be telling us that iten/i sets of parents were so careless as to allow their children to be taken."

"They aren't being abducted right under their noses, Hewley" Heidegger growled. "These children were taken walking home from school, or playing in that blasted park in Sector 6. And you need to remember that this is a city, not a small town growing blue apples for commerce. Things like this happen every day."

"I will reiterate Commander Rhapsodos' question, then" Sephiroth cut in. " _Why_ are we here?"

"The populace is panicked" Reeve replied, eyeing the silver-haired man steadily. "Whether you find the perpetrators or not, your presence would still be invaluable to preventing unrest."

"You want us to make appearances within the Sectors?" Angeal said doubtfully.

"That, but more subtle" Lazard aceded, leaning back in his chair. "We want you actively participating in this investigation-and I _know_ it's not standard-but all three of you aren't scheduled for anything within the next month, you can afford to earn your payroll doing something for a change. This needs to be subtle, gentlemen. If you're too ostentatious the perps will know you're there for show...and they'll either move to a different sector or stop altogether." He paused and his gaze swept the room impassively. "Genesis, you'll be paired alternatively with Commander Hewley and the General on every other day. Hewley, any day you're not with Genesis you will be expected to bring Fair with you and it will count as a training exercise. Sephiroth, when Genesis is not with you you'll be on your own, but expect to be shadowed" the blonde man's eyes flickered briefly to the Turks behind him. "Are there any questions?"

"Do we have any idea of the reasoning behind the abductions?" Sephiroth pressed.

"Children are rarely abducted outside of two reasonings" Tseng replied, speaking for the first time. "One is….assault of various natures...and the other is for a purpose. To either raise them to follow a cause or to attain a means to an end."

"You forgot to mention that five of the ten children are dead" Reeve said dryly.

Genesis snorted and Angeal turned white.

"An...accidental oversight, I'm sure" Sephiroth said icily. "After all, Shinra has such a _positive_ reputation when it comes to working with _children_.

"That will be enough" Lazard said sharply, two pale pink spots high on his cheeks the only indication of his discomfort. "The cause of death for those five children is unclear, which is why the information was _classified_." He shot a dark look at Reeve upon uttering the last word. "Now ar-"

"-In what condition were the bodies found?" Genesis interrupted, ignoring the murderous look Lazard shot him.

"Always the same" Heidegger muttered. "Left exactly where they were taken, same clothes, not a scratch on them... nothing in their systems. Wouldn't even know they were dead if you didn't look close. Just….not breathing."

The red-headed man nodded pensively, his gaze on the table as he considered the man's statement.

"Any other questions?" the Director asked tightly. When no response was forthcoming, he continued. "Are we all in agreement?"

Genesis murmured an assent as his two fellow Firsts did the same.

"Good. You'll receive emails regarding your schedules tomorrow, and I fully expect all of you to participate. Meeting dismissed, Heidegger, Reeve, stay a minute so we can discuss that submission over Order 12...the President wants your responses by

this evening."

Genesis clenched his teeth and stood to follow Angeal, who had risen a few moments beforehand. He was momentarily surprised to see Sephiroth follow his lead, but shrugged it off and continued to the exit.

"Thought you'd be staying for something like that" the red-headed SOLDIER grumbled once they were out in the hall.

There was a long silence, and he began to resign himself to not receiving a reply

"As dedicated as I am to this company, I have no reason to sit in on a detailed report regarding the President's massive order of Wutain cheese."

Genesis stopped and blinked rapidly, turning to face the other man; who raised a sardonic brow.

"I...guess that wouldn't be your area of expertise" he said disbelievingly.

"No" Sephiroth said, evidently losing his patience and sweeping by him to continue down the hall. "You'd know if you read the tabloids that I'm not partial to coagulated milk protein."

It took several moments for the General's words to sink in...and by then he had already disappeared.

"I don't _like_ you!" Genesis hollered. "What the hell makes you think I'd read tabloids about you?! And who the FUCK cares if you like cheese or not?!"


	2. Chapter 2

Sephiroth couldn't understand idle chatter.

People around him did it quite a bit, though for what means to an end was always unclear. Pleasantries were something he comprehended only marginally as a habitual action...like an involuntary muscle twitch. His receptionist often asked him how he was doing, but it seemed like she really wanted to throw him to the floor and copulate violently. She'd have a very hard time doing so, of course, but that didn't stop the scene from playing behind her eyes every time he walked in or out of his office. This kind of look was common among the female and some of the male citizenry regardless of age, race, or status. When he confessed to Lazard he was worried about being overcome by a populace who were painfully incapable of controlling their hormones the man had nearly fallen off his chair laughing. Upon seeing the seriousness of his statement, the Director had assured him that while Shinra didn't mind their SOLDIERS having admirers, assault of any kind was taken very seriously by the company and should anything of the sort happen to him he should report it immediately to Human Resources.

Then you had people like Commander Rhapsodos who couldn't for the life of them understand why he didn't want to _'bang every chick'_ in the vicinity. Sephiroth balked at the thought of having to explain Hojo's order for him never to engage in intercourse with anything, human or not, and instead had to go through the painful ordeal of citing SOLDIER ethics and responsibility towards his position. While it was mildly entertaining to watch Genesis' eyes glaze over in horror as he proceeded to cite Section 22 Order 57, it still made him uncomfortable that he couldn't be entirely honest with his fellow Firsts, no matter what. Instead, he let the rumors circulate that he was simply discreet about his dalliances and had no desire to share his intimate encounters with others.

Interaction was a painful, drawn out ordeal that usually left him with incredulous stares or screams of utmost terror. He would-in the early hours of the morning-reflect indignantly on the fact that he couldn't really help it. Hojo had practically raised him in the lab until he was fourteen, with little to no interaction save for the man's colleagues and himself. He even had his own room in the back of the Diagnostics Lab...if you could even call it a room. Even in his dreams, the texture of the scratchy pallet was embedded into his memory. The walls were solid iron...reinforced 'just in case he threw a fit' as Hojo would always say. It was perpetually cold and dark….thought by the time he was fifteen the amount of mako in his system would render this fact worthless. The pain of the tests he was subjected to faded over time. Hojo was thorough but never lethal, and though the fact that he would live through every ordeal didn't comfort him, it certainly told him that he was valuable. He began his SOLDIER training in brief intervals; snatches of conversation with drill sergeants that seemed to both pity and fear him. At eighteen he was introduced into politics...Lazard visited him to explain diplomatic negotiation and bartering. He had full knowledge of Shinra's innerworkings by the time he turned nineteen and his own room on the President's floor.

It was decided that he would pass through the ranks normally, like any other initiate in order to pass off suspicion. It became quickly apparent that Sephiroth was nothing like his peers, and he was almost instantaneously alienated. He had sharper hearing than some of the Firsts, and was undeniably faster...often leaving his comrades in the dust on missions that should have been a team effort. Sephiroth was also stronger and smarter than the majority of the SOLDIER population, with a hand that could shatter ribs with the flick of a finger and a memory so photographic that there were times he wished he could forget some of the things he had seen. By the time he was twenty one he could beat every simulation in the VR room with his eyes closed. Shinra made him their poster boy, with his face floating on logos and various holo screens on both the upper and lower plate. He was a point of pride for them...and for a while, he was content, but never 'happy.' The concept of happiness escaped him.

When SOLDIERS who were given leave came back tanned and slack-jawed from days spent with their families, he looked on incomprehensibly. Human contact had never been comforting for him. Human contact meant being jabbed with needles, plunged into mako tanks, reciting doctrine...or fending off an attack. Human contact was duty, plain, simple, and cold and he couldn't imagine what anyone saw in it. People feared him and he was alright with that, because it meant that they couldn't slice him open and examine his intestines or strap him down to a gurney and drug him until he couldn't remember what his name was. He visited Hojo as little as possible once he was given his own set of rooms floors away, but he was still forced to go to the labs once a month to be _'evaluated for stability.'_ Sometimes it confused him, because none of the other SOLDIERS were subjected to such rigorous examination...but he knew better than to question it.

The arrival of Angeal and Genesis was a tipping point in his life, though for better or for worse he couldn't say. Both rose through the ranks quickly, faster than any SOLDIER save for himself, and he watched their progress with interest. Angeal was calm, focused and devoted to his cause, something that Sephiroth could certainly respect...but never admire. Genesis was fiery and prone to disobedience, something that irked Shinra to no end. Still, he was willing to improvise where others did not, and he had the wit and the looks to back up his actions. Sephiroth instructed him offhandedly, knowing that his full attention would not be welcomed by someone so prideful. Genesis seemed to take his aid as a challenge, though he never did figure out why. Nevertheless, the three of them were still closer to each other than anyone else in SOLDIER. Angeal was reserved and shy, but fiercely protective of Genesis, and Sephiroth never held it against him. There was something...fragile about the redhead that wasn't apparent in the other man.

There was something about Genesis that constantly nagged at him...though if he was completely honest with himself it wasn't exactly an unpleasant feeling. Those mako-blue eyes were full of spirit, and there was never more life in them than when they were sparring or arguing. So when Genesis had come back from the VR room with a black eye, a split lip, three broken ribs and a riotous grin, Angeal had practically shrieked that they obviously both enjoyed _'beating the ever-loving shit'_ out of each other, _'whether verbally or physically'_ and that he wouldn't have any part in their _'rampant and chronic stupidity.'_ It was the first time Sephiroth had ever heard Angeal scream _'like a girl'_ as Genesis would say, though he assured him it wasn't the first time it had ever happened; it was also the first time that anyone had insisted he might be mentally incapacitated. He was forced to grudgingly admit that he was-for once in his life-enjoying something. Despite the fact that they constantly butted heads, they got along rather well outside of the public eye, and Sephiroth began to tentatively think of his two fellow Firsts as friends. Genesis was inconsistent and prone to distemper, but he was loyal and for the most part honest...and Angeal was probably the best friend anyone could ever ask for but Sephiroth wasn't emotional enough yet to acknowledge that as a fact.

"A Zackary Fair to see you, sir."

The reason his Secretary had to pitch her voice two octaves lower and add a roll to it that sounded like she had a mouthful of felt in his presence would forever escape him. He knew for a fact that she had a standard lower plate accent that was practically earsplitting when she was talking on the phone, though now that he thought about it, perhaps she did it in consideration of his auditory function.

"Thank you Lailah, send him in please."

Leaning back in his chair, Sephiroth surveyed the mess of paperwork on his desk with a feeling of resigned despair. Being the poster-boy of Shinra may have had its perks, but it also had its downsides. Mainly, receiving forms from executives who felt they were too good to fill them out themselves. Most of his work centered in field reports, whether it be critiquing that of a lower class SOLDIER who had handed it in or approving a survey for an upcoming encampment, it didn't really matter. Once it went across his desk it went up to Lazard, who was rumored to bathe with his paperwork to save himself time. From there it went to President Shinra who probably had a secretary look over it for him. Personal reports were the worst, because while he might have a photographic memory, no one else cared to know that they arrived at 'X' location at 2:45:33 where it was raining moderately and the mud under his boots appeared to be of a clay origin. People also didn't want to know the miniscule details in which their loved ones had perished, down to blood spatter...it was the main reason Lazard didn't let him write to families whose men had died under his watch anymore.

"Sir, Commander Hewley sent me up to give you the VR report."

"Just yours, or your whole platoon?" Sephiroth said calmly, taking the report and scanning the summary with a sinking feeling. "Sit down" he added wearily, watching as the cadet sank into one of the armchairs facing his desk.

"Uh, well sir, it was just going to be mine but Angeal seemed to think you wouldn't mind." The dark-haired SOLDIER squirmed uncomfortably. "He mentioned that the Firsts have a mission coming up."

Sephiroth paused, halfway through the thick stack of papers in front of him.

"Are you asking me or are you telling me?" he said mildly.

"Oh, well, asking, sir!" Zack said eagerly.

The General smirked briefly before looking down at the reports and shaking his head.

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask Angeal about it" he said calmly. "Now, deliver half of these to Commander Rhapsodos and tell him that I've gone to dinner."

The younger man paled.

"Ah...but-sir-I don't think-" Sephiroth raised a brow and the younger man gulped and jumped out of his seat, taking the proffered reports. "Yes sir, right away sir!"

The silver-haired man waited until the cadet was out of his office before letting out a small chuckle. Genesis would be livid about receiving the extra work, but couldn't technically say no to it as his subordinate. He almost pitied Zack. Rising, he checked the time and made some semblance of order out of his desk before dismissing Lailah. He then waited his usual allotted 'ten minutes to avoid assault' before exiting the office himself. The cafeteria was a floor down, and while he might normally have gone out to eat on a night like this, he didn't particularly feel like putting up a hood and ducking around corners to avoid the populace. He placed his order to go, noting the hungry stares of several executives that promised more paperwork should he attempt to eat there in peace.

"Make that two, Nila dear" came a sickly sweet voice at his side. "Cut all that gravy though, you know what it does to me."

Someone lesser than Sephiroth might have cringed at the murderous look on Genesis face. As such, the General merely shivered inside and hoped beyond hope that his dinner wouldn't get cold before the Commander stopped yelling. To his surprise-and dread-Genesis said and did nothing, preferring to stand next to him as the cafeteria staff prepared their lunches and put them in styrofoam carryout tins. The only indication that the man was upset was the occasional twitch of his lower lip...to the left...a quirk that Sephiroth had observed several months after their first meeting. Most of Genesis face was obscured by his hair in any case, making it nearly impossible to tell what he could be planning. When Nila handed over their twin plastic bags, his red-leather hands curled perhaps a little too tightly at first, but quickly let go.

It was-of course-too much to hope that Genesis was merely punishing him with silence.

The redhead followed Sephiroth into the elevator and out into the hallway to his rooms, waiting patiently while he unlocked the door and stepped aside so he could enter first. This wasn't so uncommon. All of them had eaten in the others' quarters at some point. Under these circumstances however, he was positively dreading it. His living space was spacious but simple, with a kitchenette to the left of the entry and a lounge to the right. Directly ahead were two bedrooms with an interconnecting bathroom; the one on the left being Sephiroth's. At one point, he'd allowed Angeal to take the guest room while he was recovering from one of Hojo's 'treatments', but it otherwise remained empty and he didn't really know why he had it. Everything was updated, of course; with chrome cooking surfaces and soft pleather furniture. The colors ranged from silver, to black, to grey...with the occasional splash of color from a commemorative plaque or trophy. Sephiroth didn't much care for material items, but they still gave the room a more 'lived in' atmosphere. The only personal picture he had was a small eight inch frame of himself, Genesis, and Angeal after a sparring session. One of the cadets passing by had taken it for them and they'd each gotten a copy. He wasn't sure what the other two had done with theirs but he liked to think they had framed them too. Only Genesis was smiling in the snapshot, but it seemed fitting somehow.

"Would you like a drink?" Sephiroth asked, watching as the redhead made himself comfortable on his couch and opened his takeout.

"What I would like, is my evening back!" Genesis snapped, finally speaking before picking up a shovelful of rice.

"You'll have to take that up with Angeal" the silver-haired man said slyly. "He's the one who sent the assignments, after all."

"Yeah, he sent them to _you."_

"I don't see the issue" Sephiroth replied, leaning down to snatch a bottle of water from the fridge. "You're not supposed to complain about paperwork descent, especially from those who outrank you."

"Angeal doesn't outrank you, so why'd you take half his paperwork?" Genesis replied snarkily. Sephiroth opened his mouth to deliver a retort only to realize he didn't have one. Blue eyes widened as the older man realized he'd gotten the upper hand without even trying.

"Gaia, did you let me have that one?!"

"Yes" Sephiroth lied, sitting down opposite the Commander and busying himself with his takeout.

"You're lying!" was the gleeful response. Sephiroth tried to ignore the irritated blush that rose to his cheeks. "And you're mad! Oh, forget it! I'd do that paperwork twice just to see this again!"

Sephiroth imagined a painful death for the potato wedges on his plate while Genesis made contented noises through whatever he was eating. Just as he was getting his appetite back, his pager rang. Halfway through an heirloom tomato, the silver-haired man paused and fished around in his pockets while his dinner companion looked on with a slightly dreamy expression.

The Caller ID indicated it was Tseng, which more than likely heralded a quick end to his meal.

"General Sephiroth here" he said tightly.

"Sephiroth, we've got a problem in Sector Six" the Turk replied, wasting no time with pleasantries. "Three of the five remaining missing children have been recovered...but...we've had to confiscate the bodies."

"They're dead then" he said calmly, earning a raised brow from Genesis.

"Yes...by all appearances they are. It looks as if they were...experimented on; whoever did it got further with them than with the others."

A wave of indignant fury that was deeply personal surged through him before he pushed it down.

"What do you need me for?"

"We need all three of you" Tseng said irritably. "For crowd control..it was a civilian who found that bodies and they haven't kept quiet about it."

"Very well, where?"

"The usual, meet at the entrance between sectors five and six. We'll be there."

Sephiroth snapped the pager shut without replying and allowed himself a moment of remorseful staring at his dinner. Genesis was quick on the uptake and whisked both takeouts away to the trash compressor before either of them could get too worked up about it.

"I'll page Angeal" the redhead muttered, calling Rapier and clipping it to his belt. "You ought to key us out or they'll think we've gone AWOL."

The general nodded shortly and swung about to log onto the company access computer. Once that was done, he followed Genesis out into the hall.

"If it's any consolation, I didn't think we'd be doing this all night instead of paperwork" Sephiroth commented blithely.

"Fuck all, Seph" Genesis groaned, rolling his eyes. "I don't give a shit about the paperwork. Are you going to fill me in?"

Both of them watched as Angeal came jogging around the corner with the Buster Sword strapped to his back.

"Might as well wait until we're all here" he replied, narrowing his eyes by way of greeting as Genesis waved enthusiastically.

"...It seems like it's going to be a long evening."


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FFVII

 **Triad:** I'm glad you enjoyed it, thank you so much for reading.

 **Hanpolo:** thank you so very kindly for both of your reviews. I'm so happy you're enjoying the story so far!

* * *

The minute he'd set eyes on Midgard, Genesis had vowed to spend as little time below plate as possible.

It wasn't that he had any disdain for the homeless and destitute-not anymore in any case-it was the fact that the mere idea of being so far from the sun was terrifying. In Banora, he and Angeal had wiled away their time under blue skies and white clouds. The fact that some people in the slums went their entire lives without seeing the sky was baffling. That being said, he sometimes considered it a miracle that some of the populace witnessed daylight at all. Criminal syndicates charged hefty 'ascendance' fees, and Shinra did little to stop them beyond weekly 'fines.' Slummers caught on the Upper Plate were usually arrested 'on suspicion of criminal activity' and returned forthwith. Genesis loved being a SOLDIER but some of Shinra's policies were just plain nasty.

Surveying the dilapidated park Tseng had led them to, he couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for the sate of Midgar at present. SOLDIER was ultimately the reason the company's heads were still alive, and Firsts like Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth were major figurehead's in Shinra's agenda. It didn't do much good to dwell on it, and if he ever confessed such thoughts to Angeal the man would smugly comment that he was 'growing up' or some similar trash. No, a job was a ob, and he'd worked hard to get where he was. No matter how he felt about the management, he still had his pride. Removing himself from his thoughts with effort, Genesis was mildly disconcerted to catch Sephiroth eyeing him oddly. It wasn't a malevolent or mocking look, merely considering. Catching the General's attention while on duty was no small thing, and he didn't like to consider what it might entail. Turning his attention to the park, Genesis pushed the ingrained disgust he felt at its obviously dilapidated state to the wayside. Instead, he concentrated on the chalk lines marking where each child had been found.

 _"Body"_ he reminded himself mentally. _"Not a child, a body."_

For a brief moment, he was glad Angeal was speaking with the populace instead of him; he cleared his throat.

"Evidence?"

"None" Tseing replied tonelessly. "The areas around each body were cleared and cleaned with top-grade disinfectant; enough to scour but not enough to launch an inquiry with purveyors. Each victim was groomed and washed to a point of sanitation they could never have achieved at home, and no hair was found on the bodies but their own. One individual had mako residue coalescing in a mutation but it is unclear if this a natural or unnatural occurrence."

"It rains mako here?" Genesis asked incredulously.

"Atmospheric phenomenon from the reactors release small amounts of processed mako, yes."

"And the chalk?"

"What of it?"

The redheaded soldier frowned and worried his lip.

"They're...accurate markings?"

For the first time, Tseng's mask slipped from one of detached professionalism to that of weariness.

"I wish I could speculate otherwise" he said heavily.

"This is your field, isn't it?" Sephiroth said, a thin veil of irritation lacing his tone. "We're trained for combat and I see none."

"Lazard wants our departments working in tangent to solve this, we're making no headway" Tseng countered, his tone once more distant and cold. "The Science Department is equally involved."

"Well that's a first" Genesis commented. "A Turk admitting defeat."

"There is a difference between defeat and needing extra manpower" was the frigid response. "If I must sink so low as to flatter you, I would remind you that your mental capacity is greatly enhance by mako and would therefore make processing information far swifter a task."

"Flattery won't help you here" Sephiroth replied, already turning on heel. "Inform the director I have resigned from his... _mission._ " He spat the last word out like a curse before casting a somewhat derisive but mostly pained look back at the playground. "Who kidnaps a child from on top of a _slide?_ "

For once at a loss for words, Genesis mouthed incredulously at the General's back as he disappeared behind towering piles of scrap metal and was gone. He'd never seen the man have such a visceral response to anything. Under different circumstance in a different time he might have assumed Sephiroth was pulling rank and leaving the job to this 'beneath' him. He knew better now, of course. By his side, Tseng was equally silent, but it was an observant and calculating silence, not a surprised or disbelieving one. This wasn't particularly unusual. High-ranking Shinra operatives always seemed to know more about Sephiroth than they were willing to say. The man in question was equally close-mouthed as to why, and Genesis suspected that he knew little more than what tabloids and administration demanded...he had learned quickly not to pry. Sephiroth rarely showed any strong emotions; as far as his track history went, this had been a veritable shouting match.

"Unless you had something to add, I think I'll see how Angeal is doing" Genesis muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Tseng, who jerked his head in a noncommittal manner.

"If you could attempt to sway the General, it would be greatly appreciated."

The redhead snorted.

"Nothing's going to change Sephiroth's mind but Sephiroth. I'd be better off repeatedly running myself into the Plate supports and hoping the city collapsed."

Tseng's lip twitched.

"Treasonous talk that is, but the mental picture makes up for it." He turned and began to walk away. "Thank you for your time, Commander."

"Yeah, sure" he replied, watching as the Turk melted into the darkness.

Casting another glance over the playground, Genesis couldn't help but feel uneasy. The shadows that collected under and around the swing-set seemed ominous and resentful, as if conscious of the fact they never saw sunlight. The park was devoid of color, a stark contrast to fact that it had obviously been built for children. Crudely yet surely painstakingly shaped animal caricatures only added to the dismal mockery of things meant for youth. Reno had once explained to him that children born in the slums were rarely allowed a childhood. The only ways to proceed were _'up, crooked, or dead.'_ He'd been lucky to catch the eye of the Turks young, and while there were plenty of things in his line of work he didn't agree with, it was better than being stuck a hood rat.

Drawing up his hood, Genesis turned away from the seemingly eternally bright halogen park lights and made a swift path into the late-night streets. Shinra was rather notorious for recruiting those from less-fortunate backgrounds. People who were grateful were less-likely to ask questions and carried and almost unshakable loyalty to their 'saviors.' Individuals with nondescript backgrounds were also easier to...'dismiss' should they get nosy. The rich elitists had their ins and outs too, of course, but access came with mountains of privacy contracts and legal bindings. Genesis had lost count of the amount of paperwork he'd had to wade through to become a SOLDIER. He still got the occasional legal notice every few weeks and his Discrepency Contract renewed every six months. He was also pretty sure his likeness was copyrighted for the duration of his service, but that was to be expected as a First.

Sidestepping a puddle of some unnameable substance, Genesis vaulted over a large sewage intake pipe; landing in a balanced crouch over-top a modest but very empty water distribution tank. It made a hollow, bereft sort of resonance under his boots as he stood to somewhat gather his bearings. It was easy to get turned around below pate, even with mako enhancements and years of training. The layout of the slums constantly changed; houses made of scrap metal and refuse were easy to move, and hazardous living conditions made it nearly impossible to set up permanent residence. Even above plate the reactors gave off an immense amount of noise and heat; here, without dampeners and shields, the air was cloyingly rank and buzzing with irradiated energy. Disorientation was common among non-natives...for SOLDIERS it was rather worse.

Just when he was considering scaling a support beam to the surface, his phone recieved a text from Angeal with specified coordinates. The missive included a rather mournfal statement indicating that while the populace wasn't happy they were, for the moment, mollified. A small transport chopper was waiting for them not far from either of their locations, but the pilot refused to wait very long due to the late hour and the 'hazards of the environment.' The cry of an approaching Allemagne gave Genesis pause, but he ignored the sound in favor of haste. Monsters that strayed into the slums were supposedly 'law enforcement' responsibility, but dispatch often fell to civilian or street gangs. SOLDIER was only called out for Behemoths, Golems, Dragons, or worse. An Allemagne was a considerable threat, but not enough to warrant SOLDIER intervention, let alone the intervention of a First.

The pilot was irritable and jumpy when Genesis arrived, and it took him drawing Rapier and prowling around the chopper like some murderous beast before he'd even consider waiting for Angeal. This earned him a hairy eyebrow when the man in question jogged up five minutes later.

"Waiting on a Marlboro?" he asked casually.

Genesis cursed and gestured for Angeal to climb up as the pilot went white and started to ascend without preamble. His friend muttered an apology as he settled into his seat after a near-miss grab for the landing skids. Waving his contrition away, the redhead sheathed Rapier and watched the slums disappear into a smoky, lumpy mass of shapes beneath them. They were flown to the Easternmost airway exit and given clearance to proceed by an exhausted-looking trio of Thirds. Genesis was startled to see the sun rising over HQ in a blaze of chrome and Scarlet; he hadn't thought they were gone _that_ long.

"Took us forver to get down there" Angeal grumbled as if reading his thoughts. "Lucky they sent a bird to pick us up."

Genesis managed to voice an inarticulate sound of assent, his insides shriveling as he considered the mountain of work waiting on his desk. He was surprised to see Sephiroth waiting for them on the landing pad, looking for all the world like he hadn't spent the night in the slums. The pilot-having failed to offer nothing even-so-much as his name-took off the minute the disembarked.

"Tseng wants you back on the mission" Genesis remarked as the sound of rotors faded away.

A silver brow rose sardonically as the three of them turned in unison to head back into HQ. Angeal shot a confused glance at Genesis behind Sephiroth's back.

 _'Temper tantrum'_ the redhead mouthed.

"I heard that" the General muttered. "I don't see how my skills will aid in an investigation of this caliber" he said in a tone that brokered no further questions.

Genesis shrugged as his childhood friend rolled his eyes in a despairing sort of way.

"Do you think we'll get the morning off?" he asked idly, redirecting the conversation.

"Unlikely" Angeal chuckled, palming the access doors that would take them up to Residential.

The lift doors clattered to a halt and Genesis sighed resignedly as the doors shut behind them. A pre-recorded notice began to play on a loop; informing them of staff rotation and wage forms that were due the next day. The overhead lights flickered as the lift began to move and Genesis jumped as Sephiroth cleared his throat.

"I finished the report you sent up" he informed Angeal.

"Zack told me you fielded half of it to Gen" the dark-haired man said confusedly.

If Genesis hadn't been so tired he was pretty sure he'd have fallen over at the General's reply.

"Genesis was kind enough to stay behind to complete our meeting with Tseing while I dealt with an...urgent matter. The least I could do was complete the report."

The elevator chimed as the lift stopped in front of a hallway that led into Business and Accounting, and Sephiroth spared them both a nod before walking out. There was complete silence save for when their phones went off in unison with a message from Lazard. As Residential came into view, Angeal spoke.

"When you've pulled your chin off the floor, you'll be happy to know we have the morning off." Genesis swallowed and blinked as the doors slid open and his friend began to step through before pausing. "For what it's worth, I think he really considers you a friend."

Watching as the Buster Sword retreated down the hallway...Genesis couldn't help but wonder if he might be right.

* * *

 **A/N:** I want to apologize for the long break between chapters. I take care of a child with special needs seven days a week and it is _hard_ to find time to write. That being said, we are working on a school integration system now that the new year has begun, and my schedule will slowly start to free up, though when that will be is unclear.

In regards to the story. You are going to notice a few things. For one; Sephiroth views Genesis as his friend already, but Genesis doesn't know it. This is mostly because Sephiroth is a very bad communicator and Genesis is not a good listener. This is honestly something I thought I saw in-game, but I could have fabricated it entirely.

You're also not going to see alot of Genesis quoting Loveless, and this is due to the fact that while Genesis chronically quoted the play close to before and during his degradation, I like to think he was somewhat saner earlier on.

This chapter is approximately 997 words short and it bothers me but I'll fix that by adding 997 words to the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FFVII or any of the characters herein and am making no money from altering or expounding on the plot.

* * *

Sephiroth didn't know what had possessed him to finish the paperwork he'd so resolutely handed over to Genesis.

Gazing at the flowing, mahogany grain of his desk, he decided it must have been debilitating hunger. He hadn't finished dinner and the trek down to the slums had been long and full of Loveless. While his sometimes seemingly involuntary recitations of antiquated poetry had ceased somewhat; Genesis was still prone to break into verse when he was bored. It wasn't so much a nuisance as it was a distraction. SOLDIER hearing made it difficult to drown out background noise, no matter how useful it might be in the field. Angeal often lamented the fact that while mako enhancements were exciting and useful, there was no way to turn them off. Sephiroth couldn't remember a time when he didn't seem to have superior faculties to everyone else, but he was still inclined to agree. During a field-training mission with a bunch of initiates, he'd been forced to confront a single cadet who sang rather too loudly in the communal showers. It was-he had found-incredibly difficult to explain to someone that vocalizations in a tiled space made his brain feel like it was exploding without sounding like he was accusing the man of being a bad singer.

Sephiroth's comm beeped, reminding him of his monthly appointment with Hojo, and he rose to his feet with a barely suppressed sigh. Wondering about his sudden act of irrevocable charity wasn't getting him anywhere. He'd see Genesis by midday and by then he'd have had time to compile a stack of paperwork twice as large to give to his poetically-minded comrade and they'd be back on even footing.

Lailah barely spared him more than a simpering smile upon his entry into her office space and he was glad for it. Lazard had evidently sent most of the assisting staff an abnormally large amount of paperwork regarding tax returns that was so convoluted even Angeal couldn't figure it out. Most of the 'good mornings' he'd received so far had been mournful and resigned. Passing what appeared to be a paper-laden apprentice, Sephiroth took a sharp right to the elevator; selecting the floor to Science Division and stepping back. Most of HQ was a rather convoluted spiral of offices and apartments that started from the President's floor and descended according to rank before spreading out like a giant skirt in all directions until it reached the civilian section of the city. There was little to no decoration on the walls of business and science-related floors; though it was rumored the Turk division was considered the liveliest of the lot.

SOLDIER barracks were commonly stationed at the very base of the main structure; with barracks and bunks leading inwards and training, simulation, and rank-up arenas to the left and right. Seconds supervised newly initiated Thirds a floor above, and Firsts were given accommodation directly below-or, in Sephiroth's case, on-the President's floor. High-ranking officers sometimes chose to purchase homes outside of Shinra facilities, but such instances were rare and the few that did so were retired or very close to retiring. The bulk of the company's employee count were office grunts who could figure numbers and statements well but didn't ask questions. These people _did_ go home in the evening; and it was always strange to wander those subdivisions late at night. Everything about Shinra was chrome and steel; with arcing...forbidding pathways and the blue-green hiss of continuously processed mako. Sephiroth's earliest memories were imbued with the scent of new plastic, sterilized metal, antiseptic and the almost adhesive-like aroma of new carpet... the few calming recollections he possessed were of looking out through glass onto the maze of sparkling pipes and red banners from a great height.

It was industrial, impersonal and distant...but it was still home.

The elevator doors slid open on oiled hinges, and Sephiroth hesitated only a fraction of a second before stepping inside. The Science Department was below ground, as Hojo insisted many of his subjects were sensitive to sunlight, even through layers of impermeable metal. Sephiroth knew it was more due to the fact that Hojo participated in experiments of unspeakable nature and didn't want to get caught in the public eye. All Shinra-approved...of course; simply not discussed. The lift slowed to a halt and he gripped the leather-clad inside of his right palm for a moment; letting it snap back before he stepped out and strode down the hall. Here, the lighting was dim but not unpleasant; the white-fabric walls reflecting a bluish-ivory hue from circular, inlaid wall installments. To anyone without mako enhancements they would have been just on the side of inconveniently dim, but for a SOLDIER they were just right. Most of the labs were similarly lit behind large glass panels adorned in white lettering. Screens could be pulled for when visual ambience needed to be adjusted per individual space; and each scientist had a shielded workstation with the latest in scientific technology. The cloth-laden walls in the halls hid several layers of sound-resistant foam; one of the few things Sephiroth cherished about coming back. It was blessedly quiet.

Hollander was responsible for most of what Hojo would call _'unecessary comforts.'_ He was conspicuously careful about making sure his patients were well cared for; especially those who had just come out of mako treatment. His offices and labs were to the left...Sephiroth took a right. As far as he knew, he was the only SOLDIER who Hojo would willingly see, though he knew it was more out of possessiveness than anything. Shinra's Head Scientist was more concerned with developing new methods of making SOLDIERS stronger, more agile and less easy to tire. Sephiroth had been the subject of approximately thirty-six of these experiments that he knew of and very few were successful. The mortality rate of his other test subjects was rumored to be at 99% with the rest becoming unspeakable versions of themselves that were eventually released into the Wastes once tissue samples were taken and they were marked as 'deceased.'

 **'Welcome, Sephiroth.'**

Hojo's section of the lab was decidedly less attractive, facial recognition identification system aside. It was accessed through a set of sliding glass doors similar to that of the main lab, but that was where the similarities tapered off. Hojo's labs were devoid of sound-proofing and instead made use of easy-to-sanitize surfaces like chrome and steel. The lab techs still had their individualized booths but they were not domed and some of the equipment was in testing phase and not legalized for release. At the rear of the lab was a set of double doors that swung open onto two open-floor areas; one medical and one operative, both brightly lit. There were two standard-size mako tanks in the corner; one filled with raw, unprocessed mako and the other with processed. Beyond this was a massive file room that was nearly floor-to-ceiling with Hojo's research, all under lock and key. Furthermore was a set of steel blast doors that could only be opened by Hojo and a few techs. Sephiroth knew that behind them was a series of massive holding cells for whatever experiment the good doctor was working on at the time. One of those cells had been his old room. He'd never seen any of Hojo's experiments, but he often heard them...

None of the techs paid him any mind as he strode through the entryway, not pausing to look at what they were working on. He had found on several occasions that ignorance of Hojo's activities was sometimes best. The man in question was waiting impatiently by the medical table in the subsequent room; his gaze distracted and out of focus. Sephiroth allowed himself a minimal iota of relaxation. If Hojo's mind was on something else, it meant he'd likely not keep him for long.

"You know the drill" was the irritated bark as the screen was pulled around them; two circular examination lamps were brought close and turned to maximum.

Settling crosswise on the table, Sephiroth unbuckled his vambraces and undressed from the waist up without replying; his actions tempered and methodical. He had removing his clothes down to a numbered science; and in situations like this...it kept him sane. Here under these lights he felt corporeal and unstable; as if his skin was too pale and his eyes too large. The hairs on his body rose involuntarily...something he'd never been able to control...something which gave Hojo an immense pleasure in mocking him over. The buzz of the intense heat and electricity was overwhelming and unpleasantly nostalgic. He held himself perfectly still as the otoscope was directed into his ears, refusing to blink or encourage any kind of reprimand. Next Hojo briefly tested his reflexes before looking into his mouth and checking the elasticity of his dermis. General vitals were next, along with a routine blood test and hair samples. It wasn't until the scientist moved to his eyes that he paused and frowned, putting his penlight down, throwing back the privacy screen, and crossing the room to grab what Sephiroth knew were his charts.

"Any nausea or dizziness?" he snapped, pushing his glasses up.

Startled at the direct query, Sephiroth cleared his throat.

"No" he said quietly.

"Paranoia? Vomiting? Delusions?"

"No."

"Any impulsive or irrational behavior?"

Sephiroth hesitated and Hojo's eyes narrowed at him over the top of his clipboard.

"...No."

The answering scoff plunged his hopes of being dismissed quickly into complete and utter disrepair. Hojo strode back to the table and palmed a blood sample before disappearing into the forefront of the lab. Sephiroth took the time he had alone to try and assess what the doctor could possibly have seen in his eyes, but came up with nothing. He looked in the mirror very rarely and any non-drastic physical changes would have escaped his notice. He was meticulous...but he wasn't vain. It was some time before Hojo returned, and by then Sephiroth was almost frantic. Thoughts of being thrown back into his cell had crossed his mind over and over, along with being given a lethal injection and tossed into the Wastes. Worse, his cerebral faculties whispered of disembowelment _'for the sake of science'._..or being forced to spend months in a tub of unprocessed mako while his limbs slowly boiled away. When the lab doors swung open he flinched and crossed his arms. Hojo seemed, if possible, even more bored and possibly more irritated.

"You're going through a belated hormonal anomaly" he snapped.

Sephiroth blinked.

"Meaning…"

"Meaning your endocrine glands are working overtime to produce signaling molecules. It's not an externally reaching factor, which essentially means it falls under puberty."

"But I've already been through that, haven't I?" Sephiroth demanded.

Hojo raised an eyebrow.

"Do you remember anything like this?"

He thought hard and couldn't come up with anything that would back up his point.

"...No."

"Then you haven't been through it." Hojo scowled and pushed up his glasses again. "I don't think I need to go over this with you again, but I will, for disclosure clauses. You are not to engage in intercourse with anyone, regardless of sex, no matter how strong your urges are. If you feel the need to engage in inter-species coitus you will report back here and be administered a sedative until such urges pass-"

"-I don't understand why I'm differen-"

"-Because Shinra _owns_ you, boy!" Hojo roared, finally losing his temper. "Your mother left you here to be molded into what you are today and I will not have you jeopardizing yourself for the sake of ifucking/i something or being fucked!" The hand that slammed down onto the countertop full of metal surgical equipment was expected, but he jumped anyway and hated himself for it. "Now, you know what's expected of you, _are you going to do it?!_ "

Sephiroth only managed to not curl his fingers into fists by letting them dig into his thighs.

"Yes" he muttered.

"Yes _who_?"

"Yes _sir_ " he replied through gritted teeth.

"Good" a needle bearing enough mako to kill anyone but him was jabbed into his neck. "You know better than to ask questions, now get out of my lab."

It was only through years of disciplined training that Sephiroth didn't stagger out of every meeting with Hojo like a beaten dog. That being said, he did walk quite a bit faster than normal, earning him several curious glances from the lab techs. By the time he'd reached the elevator he was feeling somewhat more composed, but not by much. The blue lights that were sometimes soothing were now only a reminder of why he didn't come to this floor unless he absolutely had to. Footsteps ahead gave him pause, and he cursed inwardly as a shock of bright red hair cavorted violently towards the lift before pausing when it caught sight of him. He sighed inwardly as Genesis waved once before popping off an exaggerated salute and standing at attention. Sephiroth was almost in a bad enough mood to make him stay that way, but relented as he saw that his friend's grin was entirely in jest and not jealousy.

"At ease, Commander" he muttered.

"Hojo in his usual loving mood I see" was the snide response.

"It's protocol" Sephiroth snapped as they stepped into the lift.

He looked on impassively as Genesis eyed him up and down.

"Mhmm, that's why your eyes look like you've stuffed yottawatts behind them, right?" When Sephiroth didn't reply, he 'tsked' and shook his head. "Asking questions?"

He _almost_ flushed.

"It was a fair question" he replied tonelessly.

"Come back to mine and we'll have a Tonberry." Genesis eyed him skeptically. "I'll have a Tonberry and you can have ten" he corrected himself. The elevator reached Residential and they were accosted by several harried-looking shareholders who appeared to be in the middle of an argument. None of them seemed to notice they were in the presence of the General and Commander, and both men quietly slid into the hallway outside without another word. "C'mon."

Residential was a little cheerier than the rest of HQ; if you called looking out onto what would have been a seemingly endless drop through spotless glass 'cheery.' First Class quarters hugged the opposite wall at staggered intervals; nondescript in stainless steel and glittering placards displaying name plates. Genesis' quarters did not have a placard and though the man insisted it was to remain ' _mysterious_ ' Sephiroth knew it was for privacy. He'd never once seen the man bring a bed partner back to his quarters and he was somewhat paranoid about who saw him come and go. That being said, the inside of his living space was an entirely different story. Watching as the redhead swiped his keycard, Sephiroth forced himself not to flinch as he was accosted by a vibrant sea of scarlet and ivory. Most of Genesis' appliances were red, his counter space an irritatingly cohesive white. The same emergency-oriented colors were staggered about the living space in various intervals.

Unlike Sephiroth's quarters, his friend's space was one large room; with the bed hidden by a hanging curtain...the bathroom being the only separate facility. Genesis had once confessed that his loft-like living space was somewhat of an art project. Anyone who knew the Commander beyond a professional basis could see why. Shina's red-headed 1st had an eye for savoir, despite being as deadly as any high-ranking officer. Nobody could take away the fact that there was no SOLDIER more intelligent or educated than Genesis save for Sephiroth. As quick as he was to lose his temper, he was also brilliant in the field, especially considering raising morale.

Settling himself on a wall-clinging divan that might as well have been screaming; Sephiroth resigned himself to at least an hour of conversation. Absentmindedly, he began to worry the center of his leather-clad palm as Genesis smashed glasses together in the kitchen. He had no idea what Hojo's diagnosis entailed. Contrary to what the scientist appeared to believe, he didn't feel the urge to lay physical claim to anything or anyone. He knew-of course-where everything was supposed to go in ways of anatomy. Despite his lack of experience in physical intimacy, he had a vast plethora of knowledge when it came to human biology. No, whatever the man had discerned, it was likely of little to no effect. Moreover, Sephiroth was nearly thirty; he was too _old_ to go through any type of hormonal phenomena...let alone puberty.

"Stop that."

A pale, long-fingered hand grasped his gloved one firmly; halting Sephiroth's steadily accelerating snapping motion. The man in question blinked and exhaled wearily. Genesis released him, his expression half-smiling... nearly sympathetic. Turning, he plucked two shots of pale amber liquid from a tray and passed one over.

"I know your stipend could cover about a thousand of those leather finger traps, but you really need a better mako recovery mechanism."

"Apologies" Sephiroth muttered, raising the glass to his lips.

Genesis clucked his tongue mournfully as he flopped into an armchair opposite him.

"I'm not asking for an apology" he said breezily, waving his free hand through the air. There was silence for perhaps fifteen minutes as they each wallowed in their individual misery.

"iMy friend, the Fates are cruel,/i but Shinra can be far crueler" Genesis sighed. He smirked and tilted his head. "Hojo's complaining because my sperm count is low" a derisive snort followed this bizarre declaration. "He says I've got to _'stop being a philanderer or I'll never reproduce.'_ Like I'm ever going to want kids, give me a break!"

"At least you're not going through puberty" Sephiroth muttered, his tongue loosened as it hopelessly chased a fifth glass of sense and reasoning into his stomach.

Genesis paused, midway through reaching for the decanter, his eyes two giant orbs of delighted shock. The General scrambled for some explanatory anecdote, but he was too drunk to be clever and too sober to pass it off as being drunk. He pretended not to notice as his comrade's expression changed from surprise to smugness.

"I knew it" he said with a sort of savage satisfaction. "I knew there was something."

Sephiroth grimaced and decided it was probably best he wasn't entirely sober for the aftermath.

"I'm not following you" he said drily.

"Angeal said the reason you never picked up someone was because you were 'married to your job' or whatever but I _knew_ there was more." He leaned back with the air of someone who'd figured out the mysteries of the universe. "Makes sense now. You can't get laid if your balls haven't dropped."

Sephiroth very nearly choked on his drink. As it was, he settled on passing it off as an explosive cough.

"Genesis" he said dourly. "I have been capable of... copulation since the age of thirteen."

The redhead frowned.

"Well I don't get what you're going through now then" he groused.

"The Professor did not deign to elaborate" Sephiroth said bitterly. "And I received a higher dosage of mako for asking why I am different."

Sapphire eyes softened somewhat at his declaration, continuing on to look remorseful.

"Seph...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed it."

"You didn't ask, I told you" he said shortly.

Genesis sighed and stood, snatching Sephiroth's glass away before he could refill it again.

"Ten's enough" he said firmly. "And I could have handled my reaction a lot better."

The silver-haired man opened his mouth to protest before thinking better of it. Picking at a loose thread in the divan, he couldn't help but wonder if all his comrades thought him so woefully incompetent.

"I don't know who my father was" he said, sensing Genesis' return to the room. "Hojo says my mother was called 'Jenova', and that she died giving birth to me." He didn't look at his friend as he continued. "I...know that I could have anyone I wanted, practically...but I simply don't see the point in sleeping with someone you won't commit to. I'm not judging you for it" he said quickly, glancing up and away. "I just...I know it's not the road I desire. I want someone I can cherish."

There was silence between them again, and Sephiroth resigned himself to derision and belittlement until the end of his days.

"You didn't have to tell me that" Genesis said quietly, sinking down beside him.

The silver-haired man laughed bitterly.

"Who else would I tell? Angeal would pity me, Hojo would laugh at me, my men would lose respect in me. The public would make my 'virginity' a spectacle…"

"Why am I any different?"

"You've never pretended to like me" he muttered. "You've never put me on a pedestal and worshipped the ground at my feet. You treat me like I'm human."

Genesis fell backwards onto the settee and covered his eyes with one arm.

"...I used to idolize you, when I was younger."

"I don't care about then" Sephiroth said wearily, speaking over his shoulder. "Only now matters."

Yet again, a wordless timespace yawned between them. The aquamarine chronometer ticked on in its place atop a coffee table….1700, 1800, 2200. A light snore beside him told Sephiroth Genesis had fallen asleep. It was only when the room started to spin that he made to get up to leave, only to have a hand around his vambraces stop him.

 _My friend"_ Genesis garbled. _"Why do you fly away?"_

"...I didn't want to impose" Sephiroth replied quietly.

"Stay" was the muttered reply. He hesitated for a moment before sinking back down, grudgingly acknowledging that it was probably best he did stay rather than make a spectacle of himself in the halls. Only when he was very nearly driven to the the brink of unconscious did Genesis speak again. "You know...whoever you pick…"

"... they're going to be so damn lucky."

* * *

 **A/N:** One thing that's been bothering me; the language. I'm really, really used to writing in a certain 'mood', and it's hard for me to switch over to more modern veins. Sometimes I feel like I'm not characterizing right...and that I'm altering the portrayals of said characters into something unrelatable or unrecognizable. If anyone has any tips or advice regarding this, it would be really greatly appreciated.

 **In regards to the plot:** I feel like it's realistic to assume that Sephiroth's biology could vastly differ from that of his comrades. In truth, I know very little about his childhood, if he even had one, as some forums are prone to insist that he went through an accelerated growth period from 'birth' to the timeline of events in FFVII.

Thanks for reading!

 **R &R**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy, and make no profit from the story-line herein.

"Commander Hewley to see you sir."

Genesis narrowed his eyes from the perch atop his desk; watching as his secretary scurried out of the room. He was sure she had a name, he just couldn't remember it, and she was so mousy and nondescript he couldn't be bothered to look it up. Around him, a sea of scattered papers gave the impression that he was floating on a massive cloud of stationary, but a hint of lacquered oak to the far right proved otherwise. Contrary to what a visitor might think, Genesis was really rather orderly; he just didn't organize things by color or label like Angeal, or by subtexts and alphabetical connotations like Sephiroth. No, the chaos in his room was that of a _natural_ disorder; it didn't mean he didn't know where anything was. Lazard had attempted to send in a cleaning staff twice and the results were ugly. Just because a piece of paper was on the floor didn't mean it was _garbage_.

"Still rejecting all normal, methodical methods of filing I see" Angeal said dryly, wading across what was supposed to be a stack of finance reports.

"You're just jealous you don't have an eidetic memory" Genesis sniffed, closing his current copy of Loveless with a disdainful snap.

He watched as his childhood friend tried and failed to suppress an eyeroll.

"The only person with a flawless memory in this facility is Sephiroth" was the calm, mellow retort. Leaning against the desk, Angeal handed over a thick manila folder. "Who, as it happens, you're going on a mission with."

Genesis quelled the excitement that rose in his chest with an iron fist. Because he was _not_ eighteen and did _not_ have a poster of Sephiroth on the ceiling over his bed. Ripping open the folder, his excitement waned somewhat as he read over their coordinates.

"The Sleeping Forest?" he muttered. "Never been there."

"I'd imagine most people would echo your sentiment" Angeal said calmly. "The Turks want SOLDIER to chase a lead there. They think the people who killed those children were experimenting on them, which requires some degree of sophistication. However, they were likely hiring out for the kidnappings. They've narrowed down the subject pool to a group of mercenaries affiliated with trafficking, but their base in Midgar is empty and freight records indicate movements North to the Northern Continent, but not to places like Modeoheim or Icicle Inn."

"There's nothing there though" Genesis persisted, flipping through the briefing. "Nothing but miles and miles of forest."

"I imagine that's rather the point" Angeal replied rapping his fist on the desk before standing upright. "Sephiroth is excellent at tracking and you're not half bad at outdoor survival."

"He'll never agree to this" the redhead sighed, letting the folder drop onto the counter. "He already backed out of the mission."

"Well, he's consented again for whatever reason" his friend said cheerfully. "You leave in an hour, I wouldn't spend too much time thinking it over." Wading his way back to the door, he paused. "I'd dress warm if I were you."

Thankfully, the five or six choice words Genesis threw at Angeal's back were drowned out by his pager buzzing with mission specifications. Scrolling through the details, he couldn't fully dismiss his excitement. It was rare to get missions in territories that were sparsely charted. No one knew the full layout of The Sleeping Forest, it was considered a poor place to adventure at leisure. People disappeared in its frigid depths never to be seen again and there were several accounts of nomadic wanderers losing their minds amidst sparkling silver boughs and glassy pools with unknown depths. He'd be a fool to pass up the opportunity, even if it did mean taking orders from Sephiroth.

Hopping down from his desk, Genesis wandered over to one of the few filing cabinets left in his office. Opening it, he ran the combination for the safe within and retrieved his identification papers and his SOLDIER reconnaissance card. He might not need them at all but he wasn't willing to risk it. Sephiroth was famous, but that didn't mean he would vouch for Genesis should the circumstance arise. The idea of calling Lazard to inform him that he'd forgotten his papers and needed a lift 'home' was incredibly unappealing. It was protocol to bring some legally acknowledged means of namesake on missions anyway, it was just rare to see anyone above the rank of 3RD actually comply. Snatching up a copy of LOVELESS that had seen possibly one too many winters; Genesis coded the lock to his office and gave his secretary her usual daily glare before informing her he was leaving indefinitely and that under no circumstances should his study be disturbed. He thought he heard her respond when he was halfway down the hall to the lift, but was too invested in his destination at that point to turn around.

Outfitting was less-than-thrilled about his request for red snow gear; Genesis left with standard-colored equipment, feeling as if the world didn't quite understand a man's need to make a statement...isolated forest be damned. From Outfitting he descended several floors up to the helipad, a rucksack with rations, survival gear, clothes, maps, radios, and a thermal sleeping bag slung over his shoulder. The weather was somewhat cold and virulently breezy, standard for the altitude; Sephiroth was waiting next to a chopper looking decidedly less-than-thrilled. The bird in question was company-affiliated, and would only transfer them outside of city limits. Normally, Genesis might have balked at the stops they were going to be forced to make along the way, but the opportunity of getting out of Midgar was still too attractive to dismiss in favor of discontent.

"Could've hopped a loco" Genesis shouted over the sound of the rotors as he swung into the right-side passenger seat.

"Not discreet" was the tight-lipped reply as Sephiroth signaled the pilot and echoed his movements. Reaching toward the mess of tangled cords in front of them, the General tossed him a headset before retrieving one of his own. "We don't want to be followed."

"Ah, so this is all you then" Genesis muttered, shoving his bag under his seat. The look his fellow SOLDIER gave him was half-exasperated and half-incredulous. "Well you've got to admit it'd be hard to complete a stealth mission with several hundred fangirls tailing us."

"There's a plug to disable the microphones" Sephiroth said idly, tilting his head up and scanning the dashboard on the ceiling.

"You wouldn't happen to have gotten a tent, would you?" Genesis continued, switching conversational tactics whilst unbuckling Rapier and settling it between his knees. "I've got a sleeping bag and that's it."

"I did" was the neutral reply. "Close quarters but it'll have to do."

"Well we weren't going to get a mansion" the redheaded man replied, leaning over to watch as the helicopter began to ascend. "Any particular reason you decided to reassign yourself to this mission?"

There was a long stretch of silence, and Genesis glanced over to see a flicker of uncertainty dance over Sephiroth's normally impassive features before they rearranged themselves into an indifferent sort of smugness.

"Couldn't let you claim all the glory could I?" he said dryly, shaking a loose strand of silver hair out of his face. "Let you do too many missions like this on your own and you'll be a _General_ by the end of the month."

Genesis was painfully aware of the fact that a few months ago such a statement would have tossed him into a rage. A small, petty part of himself balked at the idea of letting it go. Still, any residual angst that might have remained was crushed under the brittle bravado in Sephiroth's tone; in the way his hand strayed to pull at the leather in the center of his palm before snatching it back. For more than the first time in a month, the redhead acknowledged the fact that Angeal would have been trying and failing not to beam at him for his 'restraint' and 'maturity'. And it wasn't so much his pride that kept him silent as much as it was the knowledge that everything Sephiroth had just said to him was complete and utter bullshit.

* * *

Tseng was waiting for them at the edge of the Plate next to a company truck that looked like it had seen better days. They disembarked and threw their belongings into the bed of the vehicle before turning to listen to what the Turk had to say; the sound of the helicopter fading away into the distance.

"It's up to the two of you to decide who you want to drive" Tseng said calmly. "You'll only be taking it as far as Kalm, I don't think I need to tell either of you to watch for Zoloms. Once you arrive in Kalm there will be transport ready for you to cross the Straights. You'll be permitted one Shinra-funded night to stay in the inn and your contact will be a local named Feir Benlet; he will arrive to take you to the shores at 0630. Your last stop will be in Bone Village, and from there you'll be on your own. Your radios should work up until a point, reports indicate that long-distance communication often fails within ten miles of the forest."

"Is that it?" Genesis demanded impatiently, Tseng smirked.

"There's...one more thing you should be aware of. Should you fail to return within the allotted of time, Shinra forfeits any responsibility to send in a search and rescue party. This is uncharted territory with a fair amount of unnatural happenstance, the company won't waste resources on a lost cause. Two months subsequent to your failure to arrive back in Bone Village, your families will be informed of your disappearance and you will be assumed dead."

There was a long stretch of silence.

"Cheerful" Sephiroth remarked, turning towards the truck. "Thank you for your time, Shien*."

Tseing favored Genesis with a raised eyebrow before turning to make his way back towards the center of the plate, the glint of what looked like a motorcycle was barely visible between two bored-looking Thirds. From where they stood, the upper-expanse of Midgar was a glittering plethora of steel and industry; wheel upon wheel of stylized futurism rushing inwards to the twisting spiral that was Shinra. The gates were manned by both the local police and the Guard; Seconds who chose public service over military pursuit. The glitter of mako was barely visible from such a distance, but even the smallest glimpse gave the city an eerie netherworld quality; reflected like so many ghosts between glass, chrome, and towering structures. Genesis was reminded once again that while his name was undeniably established, it could be easily forgotten. The construction of Midgar had pulled hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of people into one area that-when one considered the sheer number of individuals living in one place-was not all that large at all. People took interest in Shinra's Firsts because they were figureheads-societal mascots-but if one of them should fall out of favor with the company, it would be very easy to make it seem like they'd died in combat or simply retired. It was not altogether comforting to consider himself expendable, but he was. Even _Sephiroth_ was expendable, though it would-admittedly-take a considerable amount effort to put him out of commission.

"We should go now, or we won't reach Kalm before midnight."

Genesis startled as the General's slow, sangfroid voice cut across his brooding like the gradual but inevitable march of a glacier. Shaking himself, he cast one last glance over the massive expanse of a city before turning to face Sephiroth, who was standing perhaps two yards behind him looking like his usual unemotional mass of perfection. Kicking idly at a stray pebble, he let his gaze drift behind them; scanning the horizon more out of habitual practice than necessity. The land outside of Midgar was desolate and unremarkable; with mile upon mile of dusty, reddish-colored outcroppings and steep gullies with no observable cause of formation. Old, dusty documents in the back of the Records Department indicated that the entirety of Midgar had once been covered with lakes, forests and streams; most of which had been redirected or used for facilities as the city was built above and upon it. Genesis couldn't quite fathom the need to wipe out an entire ecosystem in the face of industry, but he'd gone into the military knowing very well that environmental activism was not his forte. It wasn't his job to ask questions.

"You want to drive?" Genesis' question earned him a dour look as Sephiroth slid into the passenger seat and reached forward to rifle through the glove box. "Map?"

"We'll follow the main road North" was the dry response. "Kalm is smaller than Midgar but still accessible via the highway."

"...All that yap about Zoloms?" the redhead muttered, turning the key and gritting his teeth as the truck sputtered to life; an expanse of black smoke encompassing them for a few moments.

"Unlikely unless food is scarce, they're more prominent near the mines and mating season just ended."

"You been before?"

Sephiroth paused, in the process of pulling what looked like a large, blinking vehicular battery from a glove box that was evidently much more spacious than most.

"When I was...younger, I passed through it briefly on my way to Shinra."

"Oh? Do tell." Yanking the wheel sharply to the left, Genesis pulled onto the main road and shifted gears.

"It's irrelevant" his travel companion replied, a thin vein of impatience seeping into his tone.

"And that?" the redhead queried, nodding at the 'battery.'

"A deterrent, for...wildlife. Shinra started outfitting repellant transmitters when we lost sixty SOLDIERS en route to Costa del Sol."

"Lost sixty soldiers to _what_?" Genesis sputtered, aghast.

"A Ghidra, I believe" was the idle response. "They're fond of tossing trucks."

Genesis fought the sliver of semi-hysterical laughter that attempted to force its way past his lips with little success. What came out was somewhere between a deranged scream of hilarity and a vicious sneeze. Glancing to the side, he was unsurprised to see Sephiroth looking as unruffled as usual, only the slightest upturn of his lip was any indication of the man's amusement. As it was, it was the last bit of encouragement Genesis needed to dissolve into a series of unflattering guffaws. The truck swerved dangerously for a minute before he righted it.

"Oh- _heh_ - _ **fuck** _you man. I-I didn't need that mental picture- _tch_!"

"You can look it up in mission records. Nobody talks about it, I've found."

"Yeah, no thanks" Genesis muttered, sobering slightly. "Doesn't matter how you slice it, that's still sixty DNs that had to be sent to families...and sixty good SOLDIERS died for nothing. Doesn't really surprise me that nobody talks about it."

"I've never heard anyone who has spent more than ten years in service call their time enlisted 'worth it'" Sephiroth mused. "It's always struck me as strange."

"Well I wouldn't call sticking your neck out and hoping it doesn't get separated from your head 'worth it'" Genesis replied, squinting slightly as a cloud of dust was thrown up from the tires. "It's about honor, and renown and all that...that's what's 'worth it.'" He glanced over at Sephiroth, who was turning a dial-knob on the transmitter. "What about you?"

The silver-haired man paused.

"What about me?"

"Well...you were basically raised in the program, is it everything you ever wanted? Haven't you ever wanted more?"

There was a long stretch of silence as the General considered his question.

"I...never particularly considered it" was the quiet reply. "And, realistically, even if I did want more it is very unlikely I'd get it. My contract contains strict stipulations regarding my lifestyle that I cannot challenge without heavy consequences."

Genesis frowned, eyeing the road ahead of them with a feeling of unease.

"Doesn't Shinra having so much power over you...bother you? I think if I was in your position I'd go AWOL."

"It wouldn't matter" was the clipped response. "I'd be constantly on the run, Shinra isn't the type to let their prized possessions wander far. That's not living."

"Doesn't seem like you do much 'living' regardless."

"I'm used to it. When you don't have indulgences it's rather difficult to fathom wanting any."

"But... isn't there anything that makes you happy? Something you look forward to coming home to at the end of a long mission?"

Sephiroth appeared to consider his query, his gaze focused out the window to their right.

"I...am fond of baths."

Genesis tried and failed to suppress the small uprising of indignation that rose in his throat on Sephiroth's behalf. Swallowing, he focused on the road ahead, afraid that if he opened his mouth he'd say something truly regrettable. Traffic immediately around Midgar was sparse; this was mostly due to the fact that the majority of shipments came and went by air, and few families considered it a necessity to travel outside the boundaries of the metropolis. Travel for the sake of exploratory leisure was not a popular fad, and it was not particularly encouraged. An individual could take a plane to Costa del Sol and other commonplace vacations spots, but the places between them were rarely traversed; merely flown over. Speed was a necessity society had come to rely on and it was neither worth the money or the risk to travel by land. That being said, they passed three or four trucks with obscure subdivision labels headed in the opposite direction, and a blurred figure on a motorbike shouted a vague obscenity that was immediately yanked away by the unforgiving wind. Having apparently set up the repellent transmitter, Sephiroth shoved it back into the glove box; folding his arms and directing his gaze out the window with an unfathomable expression.

Night descended quickly once dusk dug its claws into the dusty earth around them. Sunset was something swift and unforgiving, even on Midgar. The days were short; like a monster freshly slain in the last throes of death...darkness reigned far longer over the planet and each passing year the time between sunrise and sunset seemed to grow shorter. It was no uncommon occurrence; Gaia's axis went through a seemingly ever-changeable cycle of transformation. Genesis had no real fascination for astrology...but the planet, his planet, was worthy of occasional fixation. Even as a child, he'd been forced to acknowledge that his love of the land was far greater than his love of anything else. His father was quick to dismiss his infatuation, impatient with a son who did little but defy every expectation placed before him. His mother was less reticent but not nearly as knowledgeable, and what little information she could provide quickly fell tepid on ears that had heard such tales too many times before. And so he was forced to read in order to expand his curiosity, until he stumbled across _Loveless_ and could find nothing more succinct-more _incisive_ -to describe the glory of the planet.

 _"All that awaits you is a somber morrow."_

"Don't start" Sephiroth grumbled. "This truck is loud enough without your ridiculous need to enumerate antiquated...poesy."

"Don't let the drill sergeant catch you saying something as flowery as ' _poesy_ '" Genesis retorted.

The silver-haired General opened his mouth to reply before he sat up abruptly in his seat, his eyes narrowed and focused ahead. Returning his concentration to the road, Genesis yelped and swerved violently to the left to avoid a solid wall of what appeared to be scales. There was a hiss as Masamune was unsheathed and his driving companion disappeared out the window in a flash of silver and black. The subtlety of Sephiroth's utterance of movement was drowned out by an earsplitting screech that seemed to shake the very earth. Braking, Genesis threw himself out of the vehicle in time to avoid another pass by what could now be identified as a massive, serpentine tail. It missed the truck by inches to smash into a large pillar of rottenstone; sending a spray of reddish-brown rock perhaps three hundred feet into the air. Yanking Rapier out of its scabbard, Genesis squinted in the poor light as the mako in his eyes adjusted his vision to accommodate. A flash of silver caught his attention and he watched with an incredulous sort of derision as Sephiroth appeared atop a giant, reptilian head the size of a high-rise.

The creature in question was indeed a Zolom, though in the thick of it all, Genesis couldn't rightly say whether it was male or female. Only a blind idiot would be unimpressed by the amount of raw power before him. Zoloms were massive snakes as thick as buildings were wide and often several stories tall. They ranged in color from a murky green to black and had stunning, murderous eyes the size of dinner plates. Their venom-if administered-was enough to lay a FIRST down in less than five seconds, but that was only if you could keep up with their speed and strength. As trainees Genesis and Angeal had often joked about slaying the rare behemoths that haunted the far reaches of Gaia. That was before Genesis came face to face with a Marlboro during what should have been a standard reconnaissance mission. He barely escaped with his life and there was no more joking after that.

Ducking to avoid a thick coil of musculature, Genesis vaulted precariously onto the undulating beast and traced Sephiroth's footsteps up to the head. As far as upward treks went, it wasn't exactly the most pleasant. The scales were nearly sharp enough to slice through his uniform without any effort at all, and he was forced to move constantly to avoid cutting himself in half. By the time he'd reached his destination Sephiroth was rather casually sliding downwards to deal a cranial blow. Catching an arcing movement to his left, Genesis barely had time to plant his feet and orient Rapier before slicing through a section of tail that would have knocked them off of their perch. His reward was another head-splitting screech and he stumbled as a smattering of black blood burned its way across his cheek.

"Try to avoid bloodshed unless you're aligned for a killing blow" Sephiroth barked, pitching his voice over the cacophony of wind and roaring serpent whilst toeing the center of the giant, thrashing, hooded head as if searching for a weak spot. "It's acidic."

"Gaia" Genesis swore, clapping a hand to his cheek and feeling the braised dermis. Already, the mako in his system was working to rectify the issue; knitting meat and sinew with a precision that was both familiar yet still somehow incredibly disturbing. "And are _you_ 'lined up for a killing blow' yet?!"

His silver-haired comrade appeared to pause, as if considering something. Masamune was adjusted in his grip to point directly downwards, glittering ominously by the light of slowly emerging stars. Silhouetted at his back, at least a hundred miles away by now was the ghostly green glow of Midgar; the faint illumination left in its wake throwing him into sharp relief. Not for the first time, Genesis was struck by how achingly beautiful the General was...though such knowledge seemed to continuously escape the man himself. Poised on top of a Zolom with a days' worth of dust coating his clothes and he was still stupidly attractive. Swallowing, Genesis forced himself to look away, bitterness coating his tongue. In all likeliness, Sephiroth had been engineered to appear the way he did...if his suspicions about his upbringing were right. He didn't dare ask. It was, in a way, a mark of both the tactical brilliance and terrible cruelty of Shinra. Because as perfect Sephiroth was on the battlefield, he was equally imperfect in the ways that made people human.

He didn't look as another deafening howl split the air, signaling the end of of their close-quarter combat session. Instead, Genesis braced himself against the fluttering edge of the Zolom's hood; watching as the ground rushed up to meet them, twisting to avoid landing directly in a puddle of noir sanguinity. He could feel Sephiroth watching him with a detached sort of curiosity, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Glancing at the serpentine coils writhing about them, Genesis could honestly say that he'd never felt so old. Wiping Rapier in the reddish dust felt like a heinous transgression, but there was nothing for it. Damage to the truck was-thankfully-minimal enough that it would at least get them to where they needed to go and he forced himself to pace its circumference to check for leaks before joining Sephiroth in the cab.

"We're only an hour out from Kalm" the General said quietly.

"Good. I'm ready for a bath" Genesis muttered. He glanced over at the now eerily silent corpse; silhouetted against the moon like some terrible testament to the violence of the Planet. "Reckon we should call it in?"

"No" was the hoarse reply, and he looked over in surprise to see Sephiroth scrubbing his eyes. "Leave it."

The ghost of a smirk flickered over Genesis' lips.

"Tired?"

Black-gloved hands clenched convulsively before settling.

"I'm not immortal, Genesis."

The truck started up with a groan and a shudder, rattling in the wastes like so many metal bones shivering in the sand. It wasn't until they were several miles down the road that the redheaded man garnered any sort of response, and even then it was to the point and deliberately gentle….;

"No, you're not."

* * *

 ***** On the use of Shien: This was originally thought to be the actual translation of Tseng's first name, but was eventually proven to be incorrect. As such, I thought it only fitting to use it as a last name.

Thanks for reading!

 **R &R**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** I feel at this point I ought to mention that more of this story is up on AO3. At least double what is here but I struggle greatly with formatting, as I do all my writing on my phone in Google docs. It's no a voluntary choice, simply something that runs in tangent with how much time I have. Reformatting everything to for ffn is much harder than reformatting everything to for AO3. It has also been brought to my attention that there are aspects of this story that stray from ',M' to 'E', particularly in upcoming chapters. So if this story should suddenly disappear here, please be reassured it is on AO3 and in my Drive. Lastly, the ff7 community is much smaller than it was maybe six years ago, so I know traffic to this particular piece will not be significant, particularly here .There has been somewhat of an uptick of ff7 on AO3 in the past 3 years, so if I feel there is no point keeping this here, I will remove it. I have been pretty sick, so my updates have been slow but I'm slowly getting back on my feet. Thank you for your patience

* * *

Kalm was a place Sephiroth would rather forget.

It was a common place for SOLDIER rendezvous, but neither he nor Genesis were 'low priority' enough to warrant an order out to the nearest town to Midgar. From what he'd gathered listening to 2nds reminisce, the citizenry was aloof but not unfriendly; having no particularly negative or positive opinions of Shinra in general. Cadets spoke often of the jovial innkeeper and pub owner, both of whom were paid handsomely for their accommodations. Otherwise, the populace was reputed to leave SOLDIER well alone, save for the occasional gaggle of passing tourists or female admirers.

No, Sephiroth's negative response to the town was his and his alone; set aloft on the wings of a black memory from years before. A crimson recollection of pain and disorientation...of the mid-square tower ghosting across his vision as he was dragged below it. There was little else to go on but that memory was enough to fill him with a single-minded sense of revulsion. He was as fond of Kalm as he was of Hojo's laboratory; the only difference being he wasn't entirely sure why.

The city itself was mostly nondescript and centered around its industry. Cobblestone streets passed under jettied wood and stone homes, many of which were dark and still at the late hour they arrived. Kalm wasn't particularly known for its fondness for architecture. Most of the city's organic needs were shipped in, not unlike Midgar. Adverse to its Southern neighbor, the mining town put little emphasis on technology. The majority of Kalm was community-centric... somewhat rustic, and had been for many years. Mining wasn't a rich livelihood, and the people made up for it with close family values and group-oriented thinking.

The entrance to the town was guarded by a sleepy-looking watchman who glanced at their truck and directed them to what looked like an exterior parking lot. In a raspy voice indicative of little rest, it was explained to them that vehicles fared poorly on the rough cobblestone streets. Bidding their guide a good-night, they began a leisurely trek to the inn. The weather was cool but not enough to be unpleasant, certainly not to someone with mako in their system. Here and there were scattered remnants of the day before; a loose bit of the local paper, a vendor's tent pole propped precariously at the entrance to an alleyway. A solitary lamplighter offered them a weary sort of nod before continuing on his way.

"Strange, isn't it?" Genesis remarked, fiddling with his tabard.

"Hm?"

"We put such an emphasis on tech in Midgar, but then there's places like this that don't even use electric street lights."

"Electricity is still used to power structural interiors" Sephiroth replied, glancing down the yawning mouth of an empty side street. "Kalm puts a great emphasis on the preservation of its history, and tourists enjoy the... throwback, so-to-speak."

"Seems pointless" was the somewhat haughty reply. "All that effort to stay antiquated."

Before them, the road opened up to reveal the town square and Sephiroth paused as a slow, insidious, but familiar shiver passed over him. There was the soft rustle of leather as Genesis turned to look back at him; a sliver of moonlight passing through the overpowering loom of the central tower to alight on scarlet hair...like fire on a mercurial horizon. Lunar brilliance traversed the landscape of a single sapphire iris; plunging the rest of his friend's visage into shadowy darkness. Sephiroth was filled with a sense of foreboding that was at once repellent and alluring...ethereal and yet cruel in a way that was both pitiably fragile and staggeringly vicious.

"-ou coming?"

Genesis' tone was even, his stance non-threatening; but Sephiroth could sense the apprehensive tension in his limbs. It was the careful entreaty SOLDIER approached him with whenever he did something 'out-of-character' or alarming. He was accosted with a terrible sense of self-imposed claustrophobia; of the long-ingrained idea that he was somehow monstrously different. At once, he wanted to throw Genesis across Kalm for treating him like an animal-directive in regards to his actions be damned-or crawl away into some forgotten hole where no one would find him. Gritting his teeth, Sephiroth forced himself to be in the present…to not dwell on vague and distant recollections from his youth that were not in tangent with their mission.

"...What?"

Genesis cocked his head, a shadow of shrewd observation ghosting across his features before disappearing as if it was never there.

"I asked if you were coming" he said calmly, his tone betraying nothing of his thoughts on the matter. "I've heard the innkeeper is less than kind about late arrivals."

Glancing at the sky, Sephiroth estimated it to be well past 0130, at the same time forcing himself to move forward in synchronicity with his thoughts.

"I reckon we're well past the hour of his benevolence" he replied, keeping his tone deliberately bland as he brushed past his Commander.

They passed under the tower in silence, each wrapped up in his own thoughts. Sephiroth was disgusted with himself for succumbing to weakness in front of a fellow SOLDIER, and subsequently even more disgusted with himself for caring about it. He was used to having a bird's eye view of his emotional well-being; coordinating his thoughts and feelings in a way that was efficient but distant. Barely stopping himself from worrying his leather gloves, Sephiroth grudgingly acceded to the possibility that Hojo had been right about his 'belated hormonal anomaly.' He wasn't able to give it much more thought, however, as they'd reached the door to the inn and Genesis had raised his hand to knock.

The innkeeper was indeed displeased to see them at such a late hour, but upon hearing their rank and names quickly warmed to the idea of their presence. They were given an apologetic repast of soup and bread and shown to their room with very little fuss. The space itself was acceptably sized and nondescript, with two twin beds parallel to each other on either side of a large nightstand. The view out the window gave them a magnificent vantage point of the tower but Genesis-sensing perhaps more than he'd let on-hastily drew the curtains before disappearing into the bathroom to shower. Sephiroth placed his rucksack in the closet next to the door and set about the tedious task of unbuckling his boots, outer armor, and removing his gloves and jacket. The culmination of his efforts would leave him in his pants, and he was content to spend the night as such.

He heard rather than saw Genesis return to the room and pause, a soft intake of breath reaching his ears before it died out and was gone. A series of loud thumps indicated his second in command had thrown his belongings under his bed as per usual.

"We have very little time for rest" Sephiroth said tonelessly, pulling his coverlets back. "Our boat leaves early."

Genesis didn't deign to reply immediately, and he watched as the red headed SOLDIER pulled a shirt out of his bag and yanked it over his head in a world-weary sort of way before sitting down on the edge of the bed closest to Sephiroth, his expression somewhat wary.

"You know, you can talk to me, if you want" he said calmly.

Poised to pull a comb from his rucksack, the General paused, irritation traversing his features before he was able to stop it.

"I'm not sure I follow you" he replied, resuming his task and gathering the ends of his hair so he could begin working up.

"Gaia, do you _comb_ your entire head every night?!" Genesis demanded, seemingly momentarily distracted.

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"...Yes?"

He startled somewhat as deft fingers plucked the comb from his grasp, forced to watch as his Commander disposed of it in the wastebasket and bent over to pull his duffel from under the bed, muttering to himself.

"As much as I'm loathe to admit it, I actually did need that" Sephiroth said blithely.

"And _I'm_ not spending my night listening to you comb out that monstrosity" Genesis snapped, yanking a large brush from his bag and marching towards him with a look of singularly evil purpose. "Turn around."

"I'm not-"

"- _Fucking_ hell" the redhead growled, sitting down on the mattress and taking a long strand of silver hair without preamble. "Fine. Just sit still and don't kill me." Sephiroth blinked in confusion as his friend began a stubborn but surprisingly gentle vendetta against a days' worth of tangles. "I don't understand why you don't own a brush."

"I never considered the comb inadequate" he said flatly, wincing as an irritated tug sent prickles across his scalp. "This is wildly inappropriate."

Genesis snorted.

"Why? Because you _outrank_ me?"

Sephiroth closed his eyes as long fingers raked through strands of hair, separating it with an ease that was both professional and familiar.

"I...am not supposed to engage in frivolous physical contact."

There was a stretch of silence as Genesis' hands faltered; a long, low intake of breath the only indication the other man had heard.

"...So you're not allowed to sleep with anyone" was the tight response.

The silver-haired man swallowed thickly, aware of the risk he was taking by disclosing such information. Genesis could very well use his celibacy against him, though to what end he wasn't quite sure. SOLDIERS seemed to take great pride in their sexual escapades, at any rate. As far as he was concerned, the fact he'd never 'gotten laid' was enough to make him incredibly strange...let alone the fact that he was different in so many other facets of existence.

"No."

"...You've never-?"

 _"_ _-No."_

Genesis hands shook slightly as he continued his task despite such a revelation. Sephiroth could almost sense the amount of tension in the air, though what emotion it was tied to he couldn't really say. It took considerably less time to work the knots out of his hair with aid then alone, perhaps ten minutes or so. By the time his second-in-command moved to the final strand, he was fairly sure he'd managed to throw himself under the bus. Hojo's incessant, hissing reminders to keep as normal a persona as possible were slowly creeping to the forefront of his brain. By the time Genesis set the brush down he was very close to outwardly panicking, something neither of them needed. Still, even with his task completed, the redhead didn't move away; instead he placed a hand on Sephiroth's knee and squeezed lightly.

"We-Angeal and I-we were...given protocols on what to do should you lose control, but I'm assuming you know that already." The silver-haired man made a noise of affirmation, his voice caught in his throat. "Neither of us were ever told why, but it doesn't really matter to either of us...you're still one of us. A SOLDIER, I mean, regardless of where you come from. Nobody seems to know a lot about you" was the muttered statement. "None of us do, I guess that's why so many people admire you."

"I didn't ask for it" he replied bitterly, and Genesis smiled in a way that looked somewhat painful.

"Yeah, I know. I always had a hard time understanding why you didn't carry your notoriety as a point of pride, but I get it. It's not something you want, and it's not something you can get away from." Sephiroth nodded mutely, unwilling to show anymore weakness than he already had. Genesis sighed and looked away. "Why did you agree to take up the mission again? You're obviously not comfortable with it, and it's not like anyone could really force you to participate."

Faced with a question he couldn't answer with a shake of his head, Sephiroth cleared his throat.

"I...realized that the circumstances of my initial rejection were emotionally charged and not professionally based."

"Yeah, I get that, but you still didn't have to do this."

Feeling a frown tug at his lips, the General carefully schooled his features.

"It's my duty to provide what Shinra requests, whether it be paperwork or fieldwork...and it's not my place to decide whether or not I want to participate."

His companion still looked skeptical, but wisely changed topics.

"I'm not going to pretend I understand what you might be going through...with whatever Hojo said is happening. I get that you don't want to talk about it, but if you did, I want you to know that I'm not going to use it against you." The redhead worried a stray thread hanging from the cuff of his uniform, his face pensive. "My...my father, he was distant, cold." His companion screwed up his face, as if such a confession pained him. "I always did well academically, but it wasn't good enough unless I acted as smart as I really was...and that just wasn't in my character-"

"-You don't have to tell me this-" the General cut in, only to be quickly overrode.

"-It's called reciprocation, Seph" Genesis snapped. "And I want to tell you, so shut up and listen. I was in trouble constantly for not fitting into this preconceived mold he'd so carefully laid out, even when I was doing well on my own. I let it bother me as a kid, because what little boy doesn't want their father's approval? But as I got older it mattered less." A red-leather hand reached up to tug idly at the decorative piercing hanging from his ear. "My mother was materialistic...obsessed with aesthetic and little else. We were never close, but that didn't particularly matter. She never made much of an effort to begin with." Pearlescent eye teeth bit into the rubicund flesh of a lower lip. "I...can't imagine not choosing my own way, and I get that you've never really had to option, but you can still have your own individuality and if you need my help finding that, I'm not opposed to it."

The analytical part of Sephiroth's mind acknowledged that acquiescing to his friend's offer would likely do him quite a bit of good. He was unduly stressed and experiencing a level of emotional vulnerability he'd never experienced, and Genesis was certainly an emotional individual. The Trauma pamphlets HR liked to hand around encouraged SOLDIERs to speak with each other about upsetting experiences or feelings, as having a larger mentality than your own could be therapeutic. However, deeper ingrained were the teachings he had learned in the lab; _'keep your mouth shut and your head straight forward, don't ask questions, don't show weakness or fear. Don't assume anyone is your friend, SOLDIERs are out to surpass their betters in any way possible, don't think you aren't disposable, don't make tactical errors and don't make a mockery of the responsibility Shinra has placed on your head. Remember that everything you have earned can be taken away.'_

"I appreciate your offer" Sephiroth said flatly. "Good night, Commander."

To his credit, Genesis hid the disappointment that crossed his features well, settling behind a mask of indifference with ease. Still, it wasn't enough that Sephiroth missed it, and he cursed the equally sympathetic part of himself that felt terrible for rejecting the olive branch extended to him. Angeal would be sorely disappointed; perhaps even surprised as it was usually the other member of their duo who was constantly fighting against an easy camaraderie. He couldn't imagine what it had cost Genesis to reach out to him in the ways of pride, and the frigidity of his response made him nauseous...to the point where he couldn't meet the other man's gaze. It was therefore somewhat of a surprise when an affectionate hand was run through his hair, lingering somewhat at the nape of his neck before drawing it to the side and over his shoulder; presumably so he wouldn't snap his neck when trying to lay down.

"Get some sleep" Genesis said quietly, rising to cross over to his side of the room. "Keep the brush" he added over his shoulder. " _'I offer thee this silent sacrifice.'_ "

Later, as the slow, deep breaths of his sleeping comrade filled the room, Sephiroth gazed at the dark ceiling and wondered if he was gradually coming undone. It was such a frivolous, illogical consideration he immediately concluded that that was indeed what must be happening. Upon apprehending the mercenaries, he would return to HQ and request a full evaluation. It was what was expected of him, and it was heavily stipulated that failing to do so could have serious consequences. Still, as he fell into unconsciousness, Sephiroth acknowledged that being privy to such emotions made it easier to understand those around him. And if he dreamed that night for the first time in his life; of a woman with dark eyes and hair as long as his own whispering apology after apology across what seemed like endless time and space….he told no one.

Because even if he should cease to dream again...he knew those tearful _mea culpas_ were his...and his alone.

* * *

Feir Benlet was waiting for them by the time they got down to the docks.

He had the look of a man who'd spent the majority of his life on or near the ocean; with skin like dried fruit, hands as knobbly as the rigging he worked, and eyes like the black center of a tempest...sparkling out from under a beard that even Sephiroth was almost envious of. He offered little in the way of pleasantries, something the General could sincerely appreciate, though Genesis appeared somewhat discomfited when several attempts at idle conversation were rebuffed with single-word responses. Like the waters he navigated, it appeared Feir preferred to keep his secrets to himself, no matter how charming or witty the conversant. Sephiroth settled himself at the bow, and once his social ventures proved themselves truly useless, his second-in-command took possession of the prow; leaning forwards to peer into aquamarine depths.

The ship itself was simple but beautiful, of barquentine design and obviously well-kept. It appeared that it was used mainly for ferrying people back and forth across the straight; the cabin they were given as a courtesy had a guest list and several photos of what must have been frequent local travellers over the course of several years. Feir was a permanent resident on his own vessel apparently; the captain's quarters had a plaque with his name and credentials over them, along with assorted seafaring memorabilia. Despite not being overly social, it was obvious the man was very well-loved within the circles he associated with. Staring at what appeared to be several generations of vacationing families in the main passageway leading to the upper deck, Sephiroth couldn't help but feel a bit envious...and somewhat lost. Despite his obvious conversational setbacks, the man they were sailing with had still managed to gather a large amount of loyal set him apart from everyone else was obviously more complex than his inability to understand or be understood. Once the thought crossed his mind he was equally disheartened by his now apparently rampant ability to feel self-pity.

The seas around the straits were typically calm, with barely a cloud to ruffle their passage. After some apparent deliberation, Genesis climbed one of the masts and disappeared into the cloud of sails above them, humming something under his breath. Sephiroth contented himself with his post on the deck, staring out at the flashing array of aqueous expanse before them. Feir kept his position at the wheel, occasionally glancing at the sun with a practiced reverence. It was clear the man had a great respect for the ocean, and somehow Sephiroth felt better for it. As they made their way North, the weather grew somewhat cooler and the seas rougher. The spray that leapt up to hiss across the decking was flecked with foam and slightly more acrid. Throughout their journey they passed no other ships, but this wasn't particularly unusual. Most civilians couldn't afford a standard truck or car, let alone a seafaring vessel. Maritime activities were considered a luxury one paid for, not something one possessed.

Eventually Genesis descended from the rigging and handed Sephiroth several protein bars and two bottles of water. The redhead attempted to indulge their captain but was rebuffed yet again. They ate in silence, watching as the coast of the Northernmost continent loomed before them; the shore made eerie by the late afternoon sun. Several thin trails of smoke indicated the location of Bone Village, grey tendrils of dissipating fuel soaring into the sky before being snatched away by the wind. Sephiroth knew for a fact that the village itself was more of an archeological dig site; the residents there were mostly of academic backgrounds...some of whom had decided to settle. Word from the area was scarce, and it was rumored that the community was somewhat cult-like. Thankfully, there was no evidence of the inhabitants having violent tendencies...not that it would have mattered much in the face of two Firsts.

It was near dark by the time they came into port...what little could be considered a port anyway. It was more of an inlet with one or two rickety looking skiffs that appeared to have seen better days. Flanked on three sides by tall, forbidding cliffs, it made for a foreboding sight. There were no lights leading inland; only a single slightly overgrown trail that curved between two large boulders and disappeared into the thorny undergrowth. Perhaps two miles inland Sephiroth could hear the sounds of pedestrian activity, echoing over high ridges to fall on his mako-enhanced ears. The distant ambience was peaceful, like the murmur of a brook just out of sight on the end of a forest track. Genesis was handing gil over to Feir, voicing words of thanks enough for the both of them. Sephiroth spared the man a nod, which the sailor returned with a quiet sort of understanding in his eyes. He would spend the night in a cove a few miles South and then return to Kalm the following morning. They were encouraged to reach Bone Village before night truly fell, as the area they were in was rife with nocturnal predators. Neither bothered to point out that it would be better if all manner of wildlife simply stay away from _them_ , not the other way around.

The duo didn't stay to watch the ship sail away, preferring to take to the path and make haste to the village. The brambles were sharp and cutting, but they soon passed through a crevasse that led them sharply upwards onto the tops of the cliffs they had observed earlier. Here the path wended in a constantly curving 'S' pattern until it dropped away steeply; opening up onto an enclosed valley that glowed eerily in the very late twilight. Bone Village was-Sephiroth observed-very aptly named; with structures that were one part stone, another wood, and another the remains of some monstrous behemoth from times long gone past. Torches and floodlights blazed from empty ocular and sinus sockets like so many trapped auras, tarps and assorted linens made dwellings out of prehistoric rib cages. Groups of four to six people sat or stood about low-burning fires made mostly of peat moss.

The terrain itself was marshy and smelled strongly of clay, with an abundance of sedges and reeds. The edge of the valley was lined with a few willows whose wispy branches hung as if overburdened by more than their own weight; mottled trunks giving way to soggy, tepid soil. It was in its own way beautiful; the reflection of the merging of two wildly different climates in a semi permanent zone. They were given a few curious looks by the locals, but no one stopped to question them as they descended into the village and then down again to the massive 'rib tent'; this time on a ladder. A despondent looking chocobo raised its head, giving them a woeful stare and earning Genesis' worried tongue clucking before Sephiroth cuffed the back of his head in exasperation.

"That is _not_ how you keep a chocobo" the redhead hissed.

"That is _not_ our problem, Genesis."

"It's too cold here Seph! Chocobos aren't built for this terrain!"

"Maybe his owner fashioned him some boots."

"Oh, ha _ha…._ fine time for you to grow a sense of humor."

By the time they reached the small visitor's outpost on the furthermost side of the...whatever the thing was's spine; Genesis was practically shouting about how chocobos ought to have civilian rights because they _really_ were nearly sentient; Sephiroth desperately wanted to knock him out with Masamune, but the memory of his friend's kindness the night before stayed his hand. A gift shop two ribs down sold novelty caramels and he was not ashamed to admit that he bought almost the entire stock in the hopes it would glue his Commander's mouth shut.

They were allowed a small section of land just inside the door for a few gil, and Sephiroth busied himself with gathering local news while Genesis knelt down to retrieve their sleeping bags. Glancing back, the silver-haired man faltered as he watched his friend draw the brush he had given him out of his pack and place it on his sleeping bag with an expression that spoke volumes more than he had ever cared to know. It was an indulgent, warm expression...the kind he had been told over and over to avoid in his youth. Sapphire eyes caught his and Genesis raised an eyebrow in confusion, his mouth morphing into the smallest of frowns. Sephiroth was accosted by the thought that it was the prettiest mouth he'd ever seen.

And while he would've like to have said he walked away from the situation like it was nothing, such a statement would be untrue.

He fled.


	7. Chapter 7

Genesis couldn't wait to get out of Bone Village.

Over the years, he'd have liked to think he'd grown more partial to sleeping in strange situations and dealing with uncomfortable environments, but this was possibly the worst. Not because he was overly cold-though the frigid temperatures were nothing to sneeze at-but because the populace was just plain iweird/i. It was difficult to get any kind of information out of them without discussing their archaeological ventures to a depth and detail that made him want to fall over and snore. As a child, he'd had somewhat of an interest in the old myths, but this was fucking ridiculous. He didn't care about the accelerated degradation of a fourth lateral rib due to their location, and he certainly didn't care about the possible mitochondria living in the cell of some behemoth that would never walk Gaia again. He'd barely skimmed through molecular biology with top marks, he had no desire to repeat it. Sephiroth seemed to be faring better than he was, but that was likely because the man had spent years listening to Hojo prattle on about who-knows-what in the labs. After a day of listening to an elderly paleontologist wax near-poetic on the apparently orgasmic state of the topsoil, Genesis left intel collection to Shinra's poster boy. It was-he reflected-probably the first time he'd acknowledged the man as infinitely more qualified for a task than he was.

The first night had been strange in of itself. Sephiroth had disappeared around 1930 and didn't return until 0200, crawling into his sleeping bag and apparently passing out without a single word. Genesis-who had been impatiently waiting for a status update while the night slipped out from under his exhausted fingers-was more than irritated. iHe /i spent the remainder of the dark hours quietly fuming over the injustice before realizing that he'd been the idiot who'd decided to 'wait up'...Sephiroth had given him no such orders.

In truth, the memories of days' previous kept creeping back to haunt him. The thought that Sephiroth had never been physically intimate before had crossed his mind on several occasions. It was apparent in the way he moved-fluid yet vigilant, graceful but habitual. Sephiroth had all the trappings of an apex predator; territorial viciousness, unscrupulous pride, inherent cunning...but none of the drive to seek out a partner. Genesis was frankly surprised Shinra wasn't throwing every genetically perfect woman at him to make sure they had a steady line of successors. Explicit banning of sexual liaisons almost seemed counterproductive-let alone monstrous and dehumanizing. He had no idea how the man had survived puberty, though he presumed he had an intimate relationship with his right hand-or left, ambidextrous-at the very least. A part of him wanted to send an email off to Angeal, but he knew if Sephiroth ever found out he'd never confide in him again.

That brought him to another dumbfounding conundrum; _why_ had Sephiroth brought him into his confidence? The man was lukewarm on a good day, but lately his attitudes seemed to fluctuate between totally fridgid and erratically emotional. His comrade seemed to be fighting a total loss of control, and though he didn't like to admit it, Genesis didn't think he'd be able to manage the fallout. He was a damn good SOLDIER, but Sephiroth was a damn good SOLDIER times fifty. If his urges were violently inclined, he'd eventually be a red smear on the pavement. Then again, if a 'belated hormonal anomaly' meant that the General just needed a good fuck, he didn't think he'd mind being on the receiving end. Besides, if Sephiroth lost control in the wilderness, their options would be slim. He couldn't let him screw a mercenary, there was too much mako in his system. Genesis had seen the results of a SOLDIER losing control with an average citizen...it wasn't pretty. He also couldn't let him fuck a tree or a bogleech...that just wasn't a 'bro' thing to do and it would be just Sephiroth's luck to get some non-sentient up the duff. Interspecies urges were rare, but Sephiroth-in his unusually worshipful opinion-was rarer still.

A loud cacophony of intellectual debate jerked Genesis from his thoughts, and he watched with narrowed eyes as a pair of drunk archaeologists nearly fell into a fire pit before being pulled from their brawl by other, slightly better-minded friends. The canvas overlay above him crackled as a sharp gust of wind slithered through the flaps. Bone Village felt...stagnant. Despite the almost fever-minded research that went on during the day, he couldn't help but think of the place as a community frozen by time. He'd had yet to see anyone leave camp for more than a few hours, and when they returned it was usually with wild-caught food, kindling, rock, or lumber. What supplies the village had were hand-made and there was even a kiln for glassware and pottery. The residents showed little to no interest in the outside world and there were a few very young children who had no knowledge of Shinra at all. Here, he and Sephiroth were entities of a different world...and while anonymity was peaceful, it was also disconcerting.

The flap to their chamber rustled and Genesis pretended to be busy logging their mission as Sephiroth strode into the space looking decidedly irritated and smelling of fire smoke. While he might be better at diplomacy it was clear the man didn't get any more satisfaction from it than he did. Soil scraped against fabric as the General pulled his sleeping bag out of his duffel and began rummaging around. Glancing at the sky, Genesis was startled to find that it was nearly dusk. This made for their third sun entrenched in this hellhole, and he'd been desperately hoping to depart that day. He set down his log and watched as Sephiroth unbuckled his boots before placing them carefully out of the way. The weather wasn't cold enough for their thermal suits, but at night the wind raged to a point that both of them were more comfortable sleeping in their clothes. The air that was brought down from the cliffs had nowhere to go once it hit the valley floor, and the steady howl of eddying gusts was both awe-inspiring and haunting.

Genesis startled as a soft sparkling glow the color of new sunlight filled the room; glittering eerily against the backdrop of ivory bone. The materia in Sephiroth's palm was unlike anything he'd ever seen, it's predominant color a backdrop to thousands of others, many of which he'd never seen before. It had an unearthly, netherworld quality to it...and a psychic pull like a siren. Still, even as lovely as it was, something about it brought about a sense of indeterminate grief. Swallowing, Genesis found his voice.

"What _is_ that?"

Sephiroth blinked, his gaze sliding from the materia to Genesis and then back again. After a long moment, he stowed the tiny sphere in his vambrace and moved to roll out his sleeping bag.

"I don't know."

The redhead frowned and folded his arms, stretching his legs out and kicking one foot on top of the other.

"Where did you get it?"

Sinking down stop his sleeping bag, his fellow SOLDIER appeared to gather his thoughts before replying.

"Three men passed this way maybe a week ago" Sephiroth began, tugging 'the brush'-as Genesis had christened it-out of his bag and gathering a thick strand of moonlight-colored hair between his fingers. "Nondescript, plain...wore heavy clothing of a darker shade, paid for lodging in supplies and gave common but likely false names."

"...Like?" Genesis prodded, earning himself a raised brow.

"Sky Mansfield, Jeneth Karr...Dachen Myrr."

"Damn" the blue-eyed man muttered. "I worked with four Skys as a First...and I think there's two in Accounting."

"A child was playing with the materia near the salt marsh, I happened upon him going out to train. He claimed to have pick-pocketed one of them, _'the one with the cold eyes.'"_

Genesis pulled himself into a cross-legged position.

"Have you tried activating it?"

Slowly, Sephiroth shook his head.

"...No. I'm not dexterous with materia, and summoning an unidentified one is risky even for a professional. I'd originally brought it back for you to activate but I don't think it would be wise."

Glancingat the vambrace that housed the mysterious crystallized mako, Genesis unsuccessfully fought the shiver that ran up his spine.

"It feels...wrong" he muttered. "It's beautiful, but wrong."

"Yes" Sephiroth said simply.

"Did anyone mention where the men went?"

"Evidently they split up and exited the Village in separate directions" was the murmured reply as his comrade-in-arms threw 'the brush' back into his duffel. "However, a hunter on his way home saw them regroup and head North."

"And there's only one thing that way" Genesis mused. "At least we know our intel is right."

His companion grunted in assent, his gaze fixed on the far wall.

"We'll leave tomorrow" Sephiroth said, his voice distant and distracted. The redhead frowned.

"...Alright."

Silence reigned as each man contemplated his respective thoughts. Genesis returned to his phone to compile a Last Contact report and his silver-haired companion began an organizational campaign against his personal belongings. After a few minutes, the redhead startled somewhat as a sharp rattling sound filled the chamber. Sephiroth had paused, his hand hovering over something in his bag, his brow furrowed. Hastily pressing _'send'_ , Genesis tossed his phone to the side and watched as the General pulled a large prescription bottle out of his bag, his brow furrowed.

"You're the last person I'd think would need vitamins" Genesis joked, but a cold look from his companion sobered him.

"I didn't pack this" was the muttered reply.

He frowned.

"Then who... _Hojo_ " he spat the name out like a curse, rising to sink down next to Sephiroth and peer over his shoulder. "Edimax...no...lithemorphyl" he mused. "You're losing hair?"

"Don't be ridiculous" his fellow SOLDIER snapped, peeling a carefully folded note off the front of the bottle. Green eyes narrowed as they swiftly scanned the missive, which was promptly crumbled into a ball and thrown across the chamber. "It's a suppressant."

Genesis made a face.

"For your...problem?"

Sephiroth'sbangs fluttered as he expelled a deep breath.

"No, for the chocobo we passed on the way here, it's obviously a sexual deviant." The man got up and retrieved Hojo's note as Genesis stared after him in shock and attempted to process the fact that this was the second time in his life he'd heard Shinra's poster boy tell a joke...let alone a halfway decent joke. "I should burn this, it was careless to throw it somewhere it could be found."

The shouting of various research professionals gathered around their fires had increased in volume. Somewhere, a baby had woken and begun to wail. The blue-eyed SOLDIER grimaced and hastened to close the flap to their 'quarters', pausing to watch as four men rushed past, assumably to join the other nerds.

"I'll be glad to get out of this fucking calcium hovel" he muttered, tying off the canvas and turning to watch as Sephiroth activated a minor fire materia and let the slip of paper burn. "Are you going to take them?"

Morefootsteps rushed by outside as Sephiroth's eyes flashed.

"No. Not if I can help it."

Genesis nodded, unsure of how much he should say.

The shouting had reached an earsplitting pitch, and he put an irritated palm to the ear facing the exterior. Sephiroth stiffened suddenly, his nostrils flaring as if scenting something brought in by the breeze that still circulated the space despite its closure. A high, tremulous scream split the air, along with a low, vibrating howl like that off a large wind instrument under several feet of water. Somewhere, a gun was fired, the sharp retort echoing off the cliffs to ricochet around the valley. Their discussion temporarily forgotten, both men threw themselves at the flaps to the chamber, spilling out onto the tightly-packed earth as a throng of panicked people rushed past them.

For a moment, Genesis was disoriented by the press of bodies; his gaze found face after panicked face...some with eyes glazed over in terror, others with a sort of grim resignation to their doom. Sephiroth had disappeared, vaulting the behemoth ribcage to gain a better vantage point. Drawing Rapier, he escaped the panicked mob and turned his gaze to the communal gathering area where the peat fires lay scattered; embers glinting in the dark as the sun disappeared beneath the massive loom of the cliffs above them. Smoke ghosted across the marsh like the march of hundreds of wraiths...writhing into columns of grey as the wind swirled around them and kicked them up into the air. There was another howl and a snapping noise as the ground beneath him shuddered, giving him but a moment to throw himself to the side before it exploded in all directions; giving forth the massive shape of an insectoid abomination.

Eyes as black as pitch huddled close together against a triangular skull the shade of clay and covered in plated scales. Massive pincers hung from jaws slavering acidic saliva, dripping down onto the cold, barren earth to hiss against the discontinuous permafrost. Claws like that of a hideously deformed crustacean dangled from arms covered in rust-colored exoskeleton, and worse were its four legs; deceptively thin but devastatingly strong and fast. He had no memory of Ankheg colonies this far North, but a quick glance around proved that this one was alone...perhaps separated from a migrating column with the onset of winter. There was an upheaval of dust and ash and a soft hiss as Sephiroth landed to flank the creature, drawing Masamune as he did so.

Glancingto the side, Genesis had to force himself to refocus on the battle in front of them as he was privy to the view of a young woman trying to crawl away...her leg bent at a horrible angle...her left side a tangled, ruinous ribbon of bleeding flesh. She had to have been thrown when it came out of the ground, he surmised, but a sharp upward swipe from a mottled leg forced him to push the thought from his mind. Somewhere, a man was shouting something that sounded like an entreaty, but he couldn't afford to lose focus. Ankhegs were attracted to the scent of blood, if they lost its focus even for a moment, the woman would lose her life. Rotating swiftly, he caught the back-end of one of those massive claws, the strength of the blow nearly making him lose his footing. Sephiroth was equally engaged but clearly not struggling. Glowing embers flew up into the air as they danced across the remains of one of the fires and Genesis cursed himself for leaving his boots in their room. His feet were blistering against the roiling heat of the peat fire-searing through his socks-but the mako in his veins made it a process of damage and regeneration...which wasn't any more pleasant. The cool relief of icy soil was a temporary balm before he was abruptly thrown onto his back, the only thing stopping him from being run through was the distraction of his comrade, who ghosted in front of him and lifted Masamune to take the brunt of the blow.

Abruptly, the creature appeared to pause, its focus shifting and Genesis felt a small modicum of despair as it backed away from them making a clicking sound in the back of its throat. Its next move was so swift Genesis was sure that he couldn't have stopped it, and Sephiroth's relative position put him at an impossible angle for intercept. The woman had made it perhaps three meters, but it was three meters too little. Her screams rent the air again as the beast descended, its claws ripping through what remained like a knife through butter. Sephiroth was up and moving before she died, but it wasn't enough. There was a massive shriek and an explosion that forced Genesis to close his eyes even as he rushed toward it. It came to his sudden understanding that his comrade had used a limit-break to attempt to head off the assault, but it came too late. The Ankheg was a bubbling, glutinous mass against the dark soil...but its victim was in no better shape.

Rising from a crouch, Sephiroth appeared to struggle with himself before wrenching Masamune from the creature, wiping his sword on the grass with a hand that trembled but once and then resumed its action with a kind of robotic stiffness. A terrible, heartbreaking cry rent the air and they both stepped back to make room for the young man who rushed out onto the field, his eyes a mess of disbelief and despair.

"Eida! _Please_ no, Eida!"

Genesis turned, unable to watch as he sheathed Rapier and took a deep breath.

"That Ankheg was left here for us" he murmured.

Sephiroth appeared to startle before nodding.

"Yes. They don't make their burrows this far North."

"I don't want to know how they got it here and then managed to have it stay underground until we arrived and made camp."

"It could have been summoned...if there's anything we've learned today, it's that people outside of Shinra are capable of making materia. Give it a manageable food supply and it would be an easy task."

"It takes power to maintain a Summon" Genesis fumed. "So how did they _leave_ and maintain a summon for a week?!"

"A High Summoner could retain the link...and if they're in the Sleeping Forest, his power would only be amplified by the energies there."

The blue-eyed SOLDIER shook his head...uncertainty rising to clog his throat.

"I don't like this Seph. I mean...mercenaries we can deal with but there was no mention of Summoners in our briefing. We're walking into this partially blind. I thought they all immigrated to Wutai when Shinra started taking over."

"Most" his comrade agreed. "But-"

 _"You!"_

To his credit, Genesis was not expecting to get punched in the face.

If he had been, he would have rolled with the blow and not gotten his ethmoid broken. As it was, the fist that connected with his nose sent him reeling backwards before he recovered himself, clutching the affected area and swearing mightily. Even as mako worked to restore his bone structure, the man whose...lover? wife? _sister?_...was currently lying in pieces on the ground went flying; Sephiroth soaring after him with murder in his eyes. For a moment, Genesis could only stand there with blood trickling down his face as he tried to figure out why his fellow FIRST was going after a civilian. Then his training kicked in and he cursed before sprinting across the field, praying to the Goddess that he could stop the man before he did irreversible damage. A crowd of people had begun to gather around the carnage and they could not-could _not_ -afford to have a PR incident here. Not now. This was a research facility and violence done by SOLDIERS to research personnel could land both of them a dishonorable discharge...though he wasn't sure what Sephiroth's version of _discharge_ would be as he was apparently Shinra property and not really legally a person. They might just chop him into pieces for spare parts and cook up a new Sephiroth who didn't have such beautiful hair-and _why_ was he thinking like this when attempting tactical damage prevention anyway?

The man had landed sixty meters away and had apparently broken his arm but that didn't stop him from spewing potentially life-threatening curses at them.

"You killed her! You could have saved her! All you people do when you come here is _kill._ You're filthy rotten bastar- _mphff!_ "

"Sephiroth no!" Genesis yelled, as the man stretched a black-gloved hand over his face and began to squeeze.

He noted-with very little relief-that Masamune was still sheathed, but he wasn't sure if it was because Sephiroth had forgotten he had it or because he had some sort of psychotic 'tit for tat' reasoning and had decided to use his fists. He was forced to give up deliberation as he'd barreled into his friend and knocked him perhaps two feet sideways, landing on the frozen ground in an explosion of cold marsh grass and mud. The silver-haired man snarled and tried to throw him off, his superior strength nearly overcoming Genesis for a moment before he placed both palms against that broad expanse of chest and slammed him back down. Green eyes paled to a light aquamarine shot through with amethyst in their rage, a terrible look he didn't recognize at all flashing across those perfect features.

"Stop it! Sephiroth, _think_ about what you're doing!" Another growl, another push and his footing in their tussle was becoming increasingly precarious. Mustering every bit of authority his drill-sergeant had hammered into his head, Genesis threw the man back down and brought his face as close as he possibly could without touching him. "Soldier!" he barked. _"Know your place!"_

Sephiroth stopped abruptly, the long-fingered hands that had gripped his arms so tightly falling limply to his side as his eyes faded back to their customary emerald green. They focused on him, pupils widening until they nearly overtook the iris. Then...he let his head fall back, baring his neck in a gesture that brought Genesis up short as his friend went utterly still.

"Sir" he said quietly.

The air seemed to get sucked from his lungs. In that moment, Genesis hated Shinra with a ferocity that made him tremble. The rage that soared into his veins choked him like the cloying smoke that swirled around them. The man had long since gotten up and stumbled off, spitting profanities back at them...all fell on deaf ears. It took every ounce of discipline he possessed to drag Sephiroth off the ground instead of enfolding him in a hug. He was sure the man would not appreciate it once the conditioned response to his command wore off. Genesis straightened as they were approached by the project manager...Callium Whitfield...if his memory served him correctly. The man was in his late sixties, tall but graying at his temples with kind eyes that glittered behind large horn-rimmed glasses. Those eyes were filled both with sadness, authority, and an undertone of pitying understanding.

"Gentleman, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you both to leave."

Swallowing thickly, Genesis nodded. Beside him, Sephiroth stirred and blinked, extricating himself from his support in one fluid motion.

"Thank you for accommodating us, Professor."

They were both silent as they exited the field amidst a sea of accusing stares. The man who had punched Genesis was sitting on a log getting his arm set by a physician and he sent them a glare filled with vitriol. His face was a mess of bruises shaped like fingerprints. As they gathered their things inside the chamber, the redhead watched as Sephiroth drew the prescription bottle out of his bag and stared at it for a moment, his gaze expressionless, before unscrewing the lid and downing a suppressant with a kind of resigned bitterness.

"I'm sorry, Genesis."

The blue-eyed SOLDIER exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Seph...it's not your fault. You...you can't help it."

"I could have stayed behind. I could have disobeyed-" the man shut up, his mouth snapping shut.

A new kind of understanding bloomed in Genesis' chest, and he dropped his bag, crossing the space between them to put a hand on his friend-his _friend's_ -shoulder.

"It's not your fault" he said firmly, and for a moment, hope flashed behind those beautiful eyes before being suffocated by the cold exterior the man forced himself to exude.

They left Bone Village come midnight, their minds seemingly heavier than their bags...and Genesis could only pray that things would not get any worse. He felt foolish doing so, but maybe the Planet would care more than Shinra did. It seemed fitting, that he might place some hope in the Earth when everything he had worked for seemed to be as twisted and impossible as anything he'd ever known.


	8. Moved to AO3

This is a quick update.

Nepenthe has been continued on AO3. My reasoning for this is as follows; for one, it's too crazily violent. For two, the rating goes beyond 'M' and well into 'E'. I am currently on book two, and I'm aware that this is pretty damn late in the game. But yeah. This just got too nuts for ffn. I'm going to probably remove this within a few months.


	9. External Link For AO3

Nepenthe links (remove spaces)

archiveofourown works /13160232/ chapters/30098799

If that doesn't work search:

Genesis Rhapsodos/Sephiroth, Nepenthe is on page 2 if you sort by hits, a little below the middle.


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